Limestone County officials are counting down the days to the opening of their new jail, supported by state-of-the-art technology and offering more than three times the space for inmates.
Scheduled to begin taking inmates in mid-April, the facility boasts 214 beds, a major expansion from the current jail at 1221 E. Yeagua St., which has beds for only 64 inmates.
It’s space that was desperately needed, said Limestone County Sheriff Dennis D. Wilson, who said the county spent nearly $1 million last year to house overflow inmates in neighboring county jails.
The 64-bed facility can now only house about 35 to 40 inmates because of new methods of classification, which require counties to segregate misdemeanor offenders from violent felons, as well as men and women, he said.
The county sold $15.5 million in revenue bonds from the Limestone Detention Center, operated by the New Jersey-based Community Education Centers, to cover the cost of construction for the new jail and administrative offices, according to officials.
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The total cost of construction rang in at $14.2 million, County Judge Daniel Burkeen said.
The decision to go forward with construction was controversial, he said.
“There was a lot of debate,” Burkeen said. “There were some 3-2 votes (at the commissioners court) about going forward.”
The new jail, along with new administrative offices for the sheriff, began construction in November 2009 on a 300-acre piece of property owned by the county in the 900 block of Tyus Street in Groesbeck.
Included on the property are the CEC-run detention center and a youth facility.
The decision to construct a new administrative building centered around similar concerns as the jail — a lack of space, Wilson said.
The new building, he said, will have improved storage space for files, as well as heightened security measures such as card swipe-access doors and a secure evidence room only accessible to three staff members.
New technology
The jail, meanwhile, is outfitted with some of the most cutting-edge technology.
A total of 166 cameras will film inside its walls and the surrounding area, including pan-tilt-zoom cameras, the focus of which can be changed with twitch of a joystick.
A command control center within the jail can operate almost anything electronic inside the facility, Wilson said, in what he called a vast improvement from the more obsolete push-button locks for cells.
Officials also plan to eventually include a video arraignment room so judges and inmates can teleconference arraignments.
The county employs 24 jailers, but would need to hire at least six more when the new jail is opened, Wilson said. He’s hoping an additional eight jailers could be hired in October under a new budget for fiscal year 2011-12.
And if the county chose to open two additional 48-bed pods — an option for future expansion, if necessary — more hires would be needed, Wilson said.
Wilson hopes to have a grand opening April 8, and allow residents to tour the facility April 9 and 10, before filling it with inmates.
Too many inmates
Records from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards show a steady overflow of inmates being shipped out of Limestone County for housing, beginning in January 2003.
According to the records, as many as 106 inmates in November 2009 were sent to other jails when Limestone ran out of room.
Last year alone, the county spent more than $800,000 shipping out its inmates to neighboring counties, according to Burkeen. That number does not include transportation or manpower costs.
In 2010, when many counties felt the pangs of a dropping inmate population, Limestone still had a steady number being shipped out of the county, ranging from 63 to 90 inmates per month, according to TCJS records.
Controversy
Both Burkeen and Wilson acknowledged construction of the new jail and administrative offices has been controversial, but insisted, however unpopular, it is necessary.
“When you have a jail, you have a large responsibility,” Wilson said. “And it is mandated.”
Limestone County Commissioner Morris Beaver declined to comment for this story. Commissioner William “Pete” Kirven, meanwhile, simply acknowledged he is not in favor of the new jail.
“It’s a done deal, without my blessing,” he said, declining to discuss his reasons for opposition.
Controversy about jail construction isn’t new.
Common problem
In November, Bosque County voters shot down a proposition to take out $9.9 million in bonds to pay for a new jail.
Officials pointed to the current facility’s dilapidated building, the failure of multiple state inspections and overcrowding as reasons for a new facility. But voters didn’t agree and narrowly defeated the proposition.
In McLennan County, officials have faced criticism after constructing the 816-bed, CEC-run Jack Harwell Detention Center, which has struggled for months to acquire enough inmates to turn the profit it originally promised.
Wilson said he thought McLennan County, although struggling to pay off its bonds, is “on the right track.”
“I’ve been in this business for 36 years. . . . I’ve seen these swings in inmate population,” he said. “They simply opened at a time when inmate population is down.”
Although other counties, including McLennan, have struggled with a downturn of inmate populations, Limestone County Commissioner Robert “Bobby” Forrester said he doesn’t foresee a problem because the project isn’t intended to be a money-making venture.
Other officials agreed.
“It’s not a real concern because our jail numbers are not down,” Burkeen said. “And they’re not going to get down. We’ve been undersized for many, many years.”
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