The Texas Commission on Jail Standards is escalating its enforcement against Harris County Jail, requesting the Texas Attorney General’s intervention. With persistent overcrowding, understaffing, and inmate deaths, the jail remains out of compliance, raising concerns about safety and oversight.
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The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) asks the Texas Attorney General to step in because the Harris County Jail is not meeting state rules. This is a significant increase in the state’s effort to monitor the situation.
The action comes after the jail consistently failed to meet basic safety standards, even though it has been under a correction order since May 2023. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) believes that many of these problems are due to ongoing issues, like delays in trials and a lack of mental health facilities in the state.
The main problem is severe overcrowding. Harris County Jail has more than 9,800 inmates, which is over its limit of 9,400. Not having enough guards for every 48 inmates has sent inmates to Louisiana and Mississippi. Sadly, three inmates have died there while waiting for their trials.
After three more deaths at the jail in December 2024, TCJS issued a new warning in January, saying that they were not correctly observing inmates in person. If the attorney general gets involved, they might sue Harris County or require them to follow specific rules set by a court.
Reform supporters, like the Texas Jail Project, are happy about the state's role, saying it should have happened long ago. Krish Gundu, the group's executive director, said, "This should have happened earlier."
The increasing number of prison deaths and continued rule-breaking have led to the Texas Attorney General's Office taking charge of Harris County Jail.
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