Sheriff’s Officers Concerned About Private Jail Proposals
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Sheriff’s Officers Concerned About Private Jail Proposals
Sheriff’s officers packed the meeting of a Central Texas county commissioner’s court Tuesday to air concerns about proposals that would turn operation of jail facilities over to a private company.
Reporter: By Adam Fox
Email Address: adam.fox@kwtx.com
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(June 24, 2008)—Sheriff’s officers packed the meeting of the McLennan County Commissioner’s Court Tuesday to air concerns about proposals that would turn operation of county jail facilities over to a private company.

A private firm now operates the downtown jail, but other facilities are still county-run.

But the county is under mounting pressure to solve its jail-overcrowding problem and one option commissioners are considering is construction of a new jail big enough to hold a thousand prisoners.

The price tag for the facility could run as high as $60 million.

Among the options on the table is hiring a private company to build and operate the new jail.

Without the new facility, County Judge Jim Lewis projects that by 2010, the county will be renting space for almost 450 prisoners it doesn't have room for, at a total cost of nearly $27,000 a day or almost $10 million a year.

But sheriff’s officers are concerned about what turning operations over to a private company could mean to their paychecks and their job security.

"They've told us that they would keep at us at our current rate of pay. (We’re) not sure how long that would happen or if they would demote us or terminated us," said Sgt. Ricky Armstrong.

They’re also concerned about the impact of privatization on retirement benefits of the officers now employed as jailers by the county.

"I can retire in seven years at this point with the county. If it's privatized I would have to work for another 15 years and it would still be less than if I retired in seven with the county," Armstrong said.

Commissioners, however, say they must weigh the impact on jail staffers against the potential burden on taxpayers.

"I'm the one that has to count the money and I'm the one that has to make the recommendation to raise taxes if that's what's needed. And we're trying to get this done where we're not affecting the county taxpayers," Lewis said.

Latest Comments

Posted by: Concerned Location: Waco,Tx. on Jun 26, 2008 at 03:10 PM

This is to the anonymous person who thinks we have it like gravy train. This is not television. The hardened criminals are there until they go to court and still are there after they are sentenced sometimes upto several months. When they have been sentenced to life or death or whatever we do not always segregate them, goes to show you how much you know. Mister, I have been kicked,hit,spit on,called names,scratched,unknown substance thrown on me, and had my family threatened half the time I'm there. You are right, we suck it up and continue to put on our uniform and go in each and everyday and proud to wear the Mclennan County Sheriff Dept. uniform. So before you go running your mouth how easy we have it made, you need to walk a day in my shoes!
[ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Man with Shotgun Location: Mart on Jun 26, 2008 at 09:43 AM

To Uncle Sam; the recent escapee in Mart had a "Certified" officer assigned to him and he escaped and remained on the run for a while. How much money did this "Certified" officer cost the county having the other law enforcement agencies assist in his search and apprehension.
[ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Uncle Sam Location: Waco on Jun 26, 2008 at 07:46 AM

The Sheriff already has inmates assigned to each precinct who clean up the side of the roads and patch with tar; in fact the inmate who escaped from the precinct in Mart last month was assigned to one such crew. That's why they need a certified officer to watch them. You may not know it but the prison system is FULL. Out of the 950 inmates at the county jail, between 400 and 500 are in fact hardened criminals waiting trial or transfer to state prison. To trivialize smoking a little pot or beating up their wife or girlfriend displays your ignorance of today's societal norms and the criminal justice system. The guy who got sentenced to life for killing his girlfriend yesterday started out smoking a little pot and beating her up.
[ Report Abuse ]
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