HOUSTON – The Harris County Jail has been placed in “non-compliance” status due to its overcrowding status, according to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement on Tuesday, stating that jail inspectors identified instances in which 64 people spent more than the maximum 48 hours in the booking area’s holding cells.
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards said the sheriff’s office is now required to submit a corrective action plan of action within 30 days.
Harris County’s backlog of pending criminal cases has swelled since 2017 when Hurricane Harvey caused major structural damage to the courthouse building.
The backlog continued to grow during the pandemic, as public health concerns prevented courts from conducting in-person hearings and trials at their usual pace.
Officials said there are currently 10,343 people housed in the jail, while an additional 597 have been sent to a jail in La Salle Parish, La.
According to the news release, this represents the first time the jail population has exceeded 10,000 in over a decade. Nearly half of the people currently in custody are charged with violent crimes.
Harris County recently signed a contract to begin housing up to 600 more people at a jail facility in Garza County. The introduction of telemedicine, additional health care staff, and other steps are also being taken to expedite medical and mental health screenings during the booking process. In addition, Harris County Commissioners Court has made significant investments to tackle the criminal court case backlog.
“I think the sheriff has been dealt a bad hand,” As the former Harris County Judge, Ed Emmett, KPRC 2′s Political Analyst, is closer to county government than most. Emmett said it’s up to elected judges, trial judges, and the county leadership to figure out how to reduce the jail population at a time when more people are committing crimes and being put behind bars. Emmett added that if elected judges aren’t processing cases then people languish in jail. “If they have to start working much longer hours in the courts, have night court sessions, do whatever it takes. this is a crisis that is facing the community and it needs to be addressed,” Emmett said.