Have patience, the new jail is coming
In the meantime, when the 98-bed Burnet County Jail becomes overcrowded or there is a shortage of jailers due to manpower issues, prisoners charged with minor offenses are turned away — much to the disgust of the police officer or deputy who went to the trouble of arresting the person in the first place.
But there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel, and critics seem to forget that by April the opening of the new private-public jail should alleviate many of these concerns.
The new facility, operated by a private company under the supervision of Sheriff-elect W.T. Smith, will have 587 beds and employ at least 100 people, including corrections officers, administrative, food, maintenance and medical personnel.
Currently it costs $45 a day to house an inmate outside of the county when the jail is overcrowded or staffing falls below the state-mandated 48 prisoners to one guard.
In many cases, the prisoners are shipped to a jail in Crystal City, a three- to four-hour trip from Burnet to South Texas. That’s also a journey of 208 miles there and 208 miles back.
Not only does the trip take a deputy out of service for several hours, but the taxpayers have to foot the bill for the gas.
And when the prisoner has to be returned to Burnet County for a hearing, arraignment or trial, the trip has to be repeated. Ring the county cash register some more.
Yet while it is regrettable Burnet County can’t find a closer jail to house extra prisoners, thereby saving the gas costs passed on to the taxpayers, the new jail will make this and other problems moot.
Just this week, in fact, a jail consultant reminded Burnet County Commissioners there will be opportunities to make money off this new jail, which is under construction near the state’s Ellen Halbert Unit for women prisoners on the south side of Burnet.
For one thing, Burnet County will be able to turn the tables and start charging other counties for housing prisoners at its new jail.
But there’s another potential revenue stream which should be explored.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is asking Burnet County to supply additional beds for former inmates enrolled in substance abuse and other treatment programs. State officials said the programs discourage repeat offenders.
Allowing the new jail to provide TDCJ with surplus beds for persons in treatment and those not officially considered inmates will produce revenue for the county.
This is just one of many features the new jail provides that could be attractive to TDCJ and other agencies.
TDCJ also would fund the programs and pay for the extra beds without jeopardizing the security of the jail.
There is no doubt the county currently is experiencing difficulties over housing inmates. The situation is tedious and expensive to taxpayers.
It would have been great if Burnet County could have found a solution to its jail woes a few years ago, but hindsight, as they say, is 20/20.
The opening of the new jail promises solutions and even more money flowing into county coffers. But for the moment, everyone needs to exercise a little patience.