Jails

Once a county judge, always a county judge. Whenever Terry Julian took the podium at CJCAT educational conferences, he was always introduced as Judge Julian, having served six years as Nolan County judge before going to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). Julian retired from the TCJS Aug. 31 after serving six years as executive director and 10 years as a West Texas … [Read more...] about Julian Retires From Jail Commission

The state of Texas again teeters on the edge of unconstitutional overcrowding in its prisons. In the early … [Read more...] about Prison Overcrowding Again

Last year Travis County realized the need for a new detention facility. Overcrowded jails, existing buildings in poor condition, and temporary variances granted by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards necessitated the major expansion of the County Corrections Center at Del Valle. Due to a history of cost overruns and numerous change orders on recent projects, the … [Read more...] about Travis County Selects Design/Build Approach for New Jail

As is the case all over the country, county officials in Texas face the daily challenge of providing necessary services for citizens within the finite limits of their fiscal resources. More and more counties are finding this to be an increasingly difficult proposition, especially in the area of corrections. At the same time that jail populations are growing, many facilities … [Read more...] about PRIVATIZING JAILSReduced Costs, Increased Control and High-quality Services

Responding to the strategic needs of homeland security and the tightening of purse strings at home, Polk County officials partnered with a design, build, operate and finance team to open a state-of-the-art, $15.6 million detention facility in February of this year that has virtually filled to capacity in three short months. The IAH Detention Facility was built to house up to … [Read more...] about Polk County Detention Facility Supports Security Effort While Broadening Revenues