Search Results for: inmate outsourcing

Inmate outsourcing on the way out

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This is unequivocally good news. Dropping inmate numbers at the Harris County Jail will let the county end its nearly 5-year-old practice of shipping overflow inmates to Louisiana and other Texas counties within days, Sheriff Adrian Garcia said this week. … Continue reading →

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More on inmate outsourcing

Posted on July 13, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron editorializes about the great outsourcing of inmates to Louisiana. A number of factors put Harris County jail managers in the position of having to ship prisoners out of state to lower the inmate population. Some district judges continue … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

We’re outsourcing inmates again

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We never learn. Harris County, in the latest move to keep its swelling jail population in check, is pursuing an agreement with neighboring Fort Bend County to send inmates to the suburb’s jail. A Harris County Sheriff’s Office spokesman called … Continue reading →

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Outsourcing inmates again

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been down this road before. For the first time in three years, the Harris County sheriff began transferring busloads of inmates this week to other correctional facilities to avoid overcrowding at the state’s largest jail. The jail population is … Continue reading →

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Outsourcing inmates

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We know Sheriff Adrian Garcia has a plan to fix problems with the Harris County jails. He’s been up front about what he wants to do, and he’s helped create the position of “jail czar”, who is tasked with finding … Continue reading →

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Outsourcing inmates

Posted on July 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

What happens when our jails get too full? We ship inmates to Louisiana. Harris County on Friday will begin shipping the first of as many as 400 of its prisoners to a private jail in northeast Louisiana, costing taxpayers up … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

TYC still outsourcing custody of 10-13 year olds

Posted on August 27, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Previously, I noted that the Texas Youth Commission had a secret (okay, underpublicized) plan to outsource care and custody of 10- to 13-year-old offenders to a private company. Now here’s an update to that story: Upheaval at the Texas Youth … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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You know, there is a cheaper way to do this

Posted on September 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Why are we still outsourcing inmates? County commissioners next week will consider a proposal to outsource inmates to the Fort Bend County Jail, which would allow Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez to slow — but not stop — the flow … Continue reading →

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Overview of Harris County Sheriff’s race

Posted on October 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The explanation for why Sheriff Ed Gonzalez is a big favorite to be re-elected is quite simple, really. County veterans wondered if former Houston police officer-turned politician Ed Gonzalez would be up to the job of sheriff in 2016 after … Continue reading →

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Appeal of bail injunction dropped

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Elections have consequences, and thank goodness for it. Less than a week after the new jurists were sworn into office, Harris County’s misdemeanor judges on Monday withdrew their appeal in the landmark lawsuit over local bail practices that a federal … Continue reading →

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Report recommends against privatizing the Harris County jail

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Very good news. Privatizing the Harris County jail would be risky and may not result in savings, according to an internal county memo recommending that Commissioners Court keep the state’s largest lockup in Sheriff Adrian Garcia’s hands. The confidential Feb. … Continue reading →

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Jail privatization update

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Grits, from about two weeks ago: In a conference call last week with investors (see the transcript), Corrections Corporation of America said it expects to find out by next spring whether they will receive a contract to operate the Harris … Continue reading →

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The Sheriff’s office is hiring

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia says by balancing his department’s $392 million budget, he’ll be able to transfer 100 deputies from jail duties to crime-fighting jobs in the next year while hiring hundreds of new civilian jailers. During a … Continue reading →

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Interview with Sheriff Adrian Garcia

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia was elected in 2008 with the highest vote total of any candidate on the ballot. He inherited an office that was tainted by the scandals of his long-term predecessor, a jail system that was overcrowded, … Continue reading →

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The county’s financial picture is pretty grim, too

Posted on November 20, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This, too, is ugly. County budget officials are looking for more than $130 million in spending cuts for the fiscal year that begins on March 1. Budget officials and county government department chiefs have three months to come up with … Continue reading →

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More on the proposed booking center

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

On the Houston Politics blog, Chris Moran follows up on his reporting about the new “booking center” proposal with information about how it may play out in Commissioners Court. The city of Houston has designated $31 million to help fund … Continue reading →

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No quorum for Lawrence’s Council meeting on 287(g)

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Three City Council members fell short of forcing a vote Wednesday on the city’s participation in a controversial immigration screening program after the rest of their colleagues skipped a special meeting. The city secretary counted only three members — … Continue reading →

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The Galveston option

Posted on May 8, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

One possible option for dealing with the overcrowded jails, at least until a more permanent solution can be implemented: Ship some inmates to Galveston. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said he planned to speak with Galveston County Judge James Yarbrough … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The jail overcrowding blues, part whatever

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the same old story. With the Harris County Jail already filled to the brim and an influx of inmates expected this summer, the sheriff’s department is asking Commissioners Court for permission to send another 1,130 more inmates to Louisiana … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Harris County jails: Three-time loser

Posted on May 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County jails: Still in violation of state standards. For the third consecutive year, the Harris County Jail system has failed to meet state standards because of prisoner crowding, an issue expected to be discussed today by the Texas Commission … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 3 Comments