Does Harris County Really Need A New Jail?
As he attempts to secure a new jail for Harris County TX, Sheriff Adrian Garcia has hired nearly 90 more guards but still faces skepticism from commissioners about whether a new facility is the only solution to chronic overcrowding and failed inspections. Report from the Houston Chronicle. Garcia argued earlier this month for the construction of a new jail, after the downtown lockups failed a fourth state inspection in six years because of broken toilets and intercoms. He said a new facility would alleviate persistent problems with maintenance and overcrowding at the facilities that house more than 10,000 people. County and state officials have watched previous plans for a new jail fizzle because of a lack of voter support or the Sheriff’s Office’s guard shortage. They repeatedly have said other methods must be used to address overcrowding, including modification of bonding and pretrial diversion policies. Recent numbers show that half of the jail’s population is made up of people awai
