Government
BY JESSICA SHORTEN
Montgomery County Jail facing inmate capacity issues
What they’re saying
“A new or expanded facility isn’t just a building project. It’s an investment in public safety, scal responsibility and long-term preparedness.” WESLEY DOOLITTLE, SHERIFF, MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Montgomery County commissioners approved an interlocal agreement April 8 for Waller County to house inmates as overcrowding becomes a more pressing issue at the Montgomery County jail. “The jail is frequently over capacity, and the strain is becoming increasingly di cult,” Montgomery County Sheri Wesley Doolittle said in an interview with Community Impact . “Overcrowding impacts everything, from the safety of our sta and inmates to access to rehabilitation programs and day-to-day operations. It increases the potential for incidents, adds to overtime demands, and contributes to burnout and turnover among our deputies and jail sta .” Doolittle said the Texas Commission on Jail Standards requires county jails to keep their occupancy at around 90% of the total available space within the jail, and the county has been operating between 94%-116% capacity since January. Doolittle said the jail could be subjected to administrative nes and potential closure if the state determines the county is not adequately housing inmates. A 64-bed expansion using existing space was authorized by the TCJS in February, but Doolittle said there is no space left for an expansion within the existing jail. “Temporary xes will not adequately address our problem e ectively. We can’t continue down this road with temporary xes,” Doolittle said. “We need a facility that can meet the demands of today and the challenges of tomorrow.”
Montgomery County Jail average daily inmate totals The number of inmates at the Montgomery County Jail is now exceeding state requirements.
Capacity
Average daily inmates
1,500
1,235
1,000
“The quicker we get [inmates] out to [the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice], the better o we’re going to be. So if we get the state to cooperate with us, that would relieve some of that tension.”
500
0
2022
2023
2024
2025
MARK KEOUGH, JUDGE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY
SOURCES: TEXAS COMMISSION ON JAIL STANDARDS, MONTGOMERY COUNTY JAIL COMMUNITY IMPACT
Montgomery County Jail
“We’re completely done now. There is nothing else we can do without a building.”
336
CHARLIE RILEY, COMMISSIONER, MONTGOMERY COUNTY PRECINCT 2
CRIMINAL JUSTICE DR.
N
What’s next?
housing locations, which will also assist in lowering the average daily population of the jail. “This can’t be solved by one o ce alone,” Doolittle said. “I’ve been working to keep those conversations moving because it’s going to take all of us— elected o cials, public safety leaders and the community— working together to nd the right path forward.”
Commissioners approved the contract with Waller County at a rate of $75 per day, per inmate. Commissioners also agreed to work with Doolittle and the sheri ’s o ce to look at potential jail expansion options. Doolittle said he would work with the state and federal government to move U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees and TDCJ inmates to their nal
Doolittle said there are still nearly 2,700 unserved warrants from the sheri ’s o ce which could further grow the issue of jail overcrowding. “We don’t have another contingency,” Doolittle said. “At this point, we’re working to try to move people through that criminal justice process in our community and to nd ways to house inmates safely.”
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CONROE MONTGOMERY EDITION
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