TCJS Conducts First-Ever Strategy Session

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) met Feb. 6, 2008, in Austin for its first strategic planning session in the Commission’s 33-year history. This session was part of an ongoing effort to ensure that the Jail Commission is not only meeting its statutory responsibilities and fulfilling its mission, but also providing the best possible service to the citizens of the state of Texas.
TCJS was created in 1975 in an effort to end federal court intervention in county jail matters and return jail control to state and local jurisdictions. Through Chapters 499 and 511 of the Government Code, the state has exhibited a strong commitment to improving conditions in the jail by granting the TCJS the authority and responsibility to promulgate and enforce minimum standards for jail construction, equipment, maintenance and operations. Texas minimum jail standards are contained in Title 37, Part IX, Chapters 251-301 of the Texas Administrative Code. Related duties and rules are set forth in Chapters 351 and 361 of the Local Government Code.
The mission of TCJS is to ensure safe, secure and suitable jail facilities for correctional personnel, inmates, and the community through proper rules and procedures, in addition to providing leadership in resolving inmate population issues efficiently and economically.
The strategies discussed at the Feb. 6 meeting were:
Effective Jail Standards