Wednesday, September 11, 2024
After years of discussions and planning, Hood County residents will soon face a crucial decision about the future of the county jail.
During a regularly scheduled meeting of the Hood County Commissioners Court Aug. 13, the court unanimously approved an order to call for a bond election Nov. 5. This election could facilitate the much-needed expansion and renovation of the county jail.
According to Precinct 3 Commissioner Jack Wilson, the order will authorize the county to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $50 million for the purpose of building additional jail space of 209 beds and refurbishing the current facility, which currently holds 192 beds — creating a total of 401 beds in the jail.
“The current jail facility is 192 beds and was built in 1995,” Wilson said. “We, the county, started shipping prisoners out of county in 2000 and we've shipped them out pretty much every day since ... The build time is somewhere between 24 and 30 months to build the 209-bed facility, and then, you know, the refurbishment of the current facility will start after that."
The proposal developed by DRG Architects outlines plans for a new jail facility that will accommodate up to 150 inmates in general housing, provide flex cell housing for up to 28 inmates (either male or female), and include special housing for up to 31 inmates.
The 30,606-square-foot jail addition will also feature a new laundry facility, an exercise area for administrative segregation, a general population exercise area, and multipurpose rooms, at a total estimated cost of $24,484,800.
Additionally, phase one of a 6,200-square-foot expansion for the sheriff’s office is included in the master planning budget, with a projected cost of $2,480,000.
Interior renovations will entail a new kitchen, an expanded sally port, an enlarged intake area, and refurbished inmate housing, totaling $15 million, bringing the subtotal for construction to $41,964,800.
Professional fees for architectural, mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, survey, environmental, soils and fire safety services, estimated at approximately 9%, will cost the county around $3,800,000.
An additional 10% contingency allowance on construction costs will add $4,235,000 to the total. As a result, the overall cost for the jail expansion and renovation is expected to be approximately $50 million.
This proposal is based on an assumed start date for Phase I services of Sept. 1, with a November 2024 bond election to be called in August 2024.
Upon the passage of a successful bond election, DRG anticipates Phase II services commencing in January 2025 with design completion in June/July 2025 and construction commencement in late 2025. Construction completion could be expected in early 2027.
Following a short brief of the proposal and bond explanation, resident David Farris raised concerns during the meeting about the $50 million bond, describing the dollar amount as “too round of a number,” that lacked clarity regarding its specific purposes. He noted that while the expansion would increase the jail’s capacity from 192 to 401 beds, he was curious about how much of the budget would be allocated for refurbishment, especially considering the potential for cost overruns.
Farris also expressed unease about the rushed timeline for the architectural plans. Additionally, he sought demographic information about the current jail population, such as average sentences and crime types, as he was apprehensive about the implications of adding low-security facilities.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Kevin Andrews addressed his concerns, assuring Farris the individuals currently housed in the jail are primarily those who should not be on the streets. Andrews also clarified with Wilson that the facility is designed for maximum security, featuring concrete walls and metal bars.
"In the current facility, we have a mixture of anywhere from minimum to maximum (security inmates) in the facility, and some of the people that we're shipping to other counties are in that same category,” Wilson explained.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Nannette Samuelson informed the court that the architectural firm DRG had provided a high-level estimate for the project, indicating the design would be implemented in phases. She mentioned that if costs exceeded $50 million, adjustments would be necessary and would potentially eliminate certain features from the plan.
“I promise you, this thing, we have gone over with a fine-tooth comb and really made sure that we're doing what's correct for the county,” Andrews said.
He also emphasized the necessity of designing the new facility to separate male and female inmates, as the current jail layout does not allow for this separation, leading to many female inmates being housed out of county.
"There is some cost to that (housing women out of county) and there's cost to keeping them here also, and that's one of the big contingents that we've struggled with,” Andrews said. “But I think that we've really done our homework on this, we've really gone in and analyzed this, and I think that we are at a point now that this is a good place to move forward. I think that it's very necessary for this county.”
Precinct 4 Commissioner Dave Eagle began his stance on the matter by emphasizing the importance of population statistics in determining the size of the jail. He noted that Hood County’s population has nearly doubled from 34,000 in 1995 to over 66,000 in 2022. He pointed out the original jail facility was built in 1995 when the population was significantly smaller.
“We have taken long, hard looks at the current jail, and we've had an engineer come in and look at the foundation of the structure," Eagle explained. “It was determined that the current jail, as it is, is not ready to be ‘dozed’ — but there's no way to fix it, until we get prisoners out of it. Originally, three or four years ago and beyond, we were looking at just building a 432-bed facility, all brand new. We managed to back way off of that, but there’s a couple items that may give me pause for at least asking questions.”
Eagle then addressed County Attorney Matt Mills and expressed concern over the presence of inmates with lengthy stays for minor offenses like traffic violations, credit card abuse and parole violations.
Mills responded to Eagle's concerns by explaining that some of the statistics regarding inmates' charges can be misleading. He noted that individuals might be arrested for a minor traffic offense but are often held for other warrants or offenses, which may not be immediately clear in the reports.
When Eagle mentioned an inmate with a 196-day stay for credit card abuse, Mills clarified that such an offense — regardless of the amount involved — is still classified as a state jail felony.
“Some of those people may have felony priors, and they might be enhanced," Mills explained. “They're not getting a probation deal, or else they probably have played it already, so they're looking at going to state jail or worse, so that's why they kind of hold them.”
“These are all questions that me as a taxpayer, I'm interested in, because just looking at today's report, I'm counting 61 females and I'm counting 16 that show a traffic offense, and I've got 29 violations of parole,” Eagle said. “Many of them process crimes by just not showing up, so can you give an overall view of what parole violations might be?”
Mills explained that individuals typically need to make significant mistakes to violate parole, as the system allows for some leniency. He acknowledged that he is not an expert on how parole violations are processed but suggested that a parole officer would have a better understanding of the procedures.
He further clarified that his office primarily handles misdemeanor prosecutions, and most individuals arrested for misdemeanors can usually post bail and be released. Mills mentioned he regularly reviews the jail population for misdemeanor cases and reaches out to ensure those who cannot bond out receive timely legal representation.
“Sometimes, I'm frankly doing a better job for these inmates than their lawyer is doing for them, which is an ironic twist, but I understand the pressure of the jail,” Mills explained. “A lot of times we're just trying to get a conviction on somebody's record. We're not necessarily trying to get them six months in jail on a misdemeanor, so sometimes I'm helping to move those along faster."
Following more discussion, Eagle raised concerns about the timeline for transferring inmates to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice following a conviction. He noted that, in recent years, the legislature established a 45-day limit for the state to process these transfers. However, he questioned whether the state is actually reimbursing the county if the deadline is not met.
“I don't know if that's part of our equation, but all those are moving targets to try to determine what's best for the county as far as the jail is concerned,” Eagle said.
Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds responded that delays related to the 45-day limit were mostly a concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, as movement within the prison system was restricted. He explained that, under normal circumstances, it typically takes only two to three weeks to process an inmate’s paperwork and secure a bed at TDCJ. Deeds reassured Eagle the sheriff’s office hasn't experienced delays reaching the 45-day mark for some time.
Deeds also brought up concerns about overcrowding in neighboring counties, such as Erath and Somervell, which have limited capacity for incoming inmates. He emphasized Hood County’s urgent need for new jail facilities and expressed worry about where to house inmates if nearby jails reach full capacity.
“The thing that really worries me, is when they say, ‘Hey, I can't take them anymore. Come and get them.’ Then I worry, ‘Where am I going to put them?’ so that's the reason I'm pushing for building a jail,” Deeds explained. “If I could find housing out of county, sometimes that solves the problem, but it's getting to the point where there's no place to take them."
Samuelson added that as the new jail is built and the old one is renovated, there will be costs for temporarily relocating inmates. However, once the new facility is operational, there may be opportunities to generate revenue by renting out extra beds to other counties — a practice Hood County has had to rely on for years.
Wilson entered a motion to schedule a bond election Nov. 5 to fund the construction of a new jail facility with 209 beds, along with the refurbishment of the existing 192 bed facility, with the total cost not to exceed $50 million.
Hood County Judge Ron Massingill seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously, though Massingill noted it was passed reluctantly.
