TCJS August Meeting Recap

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (Commission) held its quarterly meeting in Austin on Aug. 6. Following the public comment period, Executive Director Adan Munoz introduced Robert Green as the Commission’s newest inspector and Mark Wilson as a new program specialist. Both of the positions were created this past legislative session, and both began employment Sept. 1. Green brings almost 30 years of law enforcement and corrections experience to the Commission and was most recently the jail administrator for Montgomery County and immediate past president of the Texas Jail Association. Wilson is returning to the Commission after a five-year hiatus in the private sector and will be providing counties with additional technical assistance in an effort to help counties that have been designated at-risk or have been issued a notice of non-compliance.
Additional Highlights:
Archer and Uvalde counties requested and received permission from the Commission to construct their new facilities without automatic sprinkler heads in the inmate housing and holding cells. Both counties are in the preliminary design phase with Archer proposing to construct a-48 bed facility to replace their current 12-bed jail, and Uvalde proposing a 160-bed facility to replace the existing 48-bed jail.
The impact of the 81st Legislative Session was addressed, and the changes in statute that will require amending Minimum Jail Standards were recommended for publication in the Texas Register for comment. Identification and proper care for pregnant inmates will require changes to several standards. In addition, the reporting of inmates observed to have mental health issues to a magistrate and the reporting of any death in custody to the Commission will each require a change to standards. A complete listing and explanation of each change is contained on the Commission’s Web site, and every member of county government is encouraged to review these changes at www.tcjs.state.tx.us. After discussion and explanation, the board voted to publish the proposed changes to standards for comment with possible adoption at the November meeting.
As indicated by the Staff Report, at the time of the meeting, 205 jails were in compliance, while 45 were in a state of non-compliance. Three counties had completed construction projects the previous quarter, 41 were in the planning stage, and 12 were currently in the construction phase. County jail capacity across the state has increased to 88,717, while county jails are collectively operating at 79 percent of capacity. Of the 250 facilities, nine were at 100 percent of their capacity, and the total contract inmate population for July was 11,591, of which 1,880 were TDCJ inmates.
The next scheduled meeting of the Commission will take place Nov. 5, 2009, in Austin. Any interested county officials are encouraged to attend, whether their respective county is an agenda item or not.
By Brandon Wood, Assistant Director, Texas Commission on Jail Standards