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Commissioners Approve Private Jail Project Save Email Print

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(August 13, 2008)—McLennan County Commissioners picked up Wednesday where they left off after a heated meeting Tuesday and voted 3-2 to renew the county’s contract with Community Education Centers to operate the downtown county jail and to authorize the New Jersey-based company to finance, build and operate a new 871-bed county jail next to the existing facility on Highway 6.

County Judge Jim Lewis and Commissioners Ray Meadows and Wendall Crunk voted in favor of authorizing the privately constructed and operated facility.

Commissioners Lester Gibson and Joe Mashek voted against the proposal.

The vote Wednesday came after commissioners recessed a contentious meeting Tuesday rather than adjourning.

During the meeting Tuesday, Mashek questioned whether Lewis had given CEC an edge in competing for the project and said he was forwarding a report to the Texas Ethics Commission.

The county sent requests to 14 vendors around the country for plans to ease overcrowding in the county’s jail facilities, but in July, there was just one response and it was from CEC, which used to be known as CiviGenics.

CEC has leased the downtown facility since 1999, but because of overcrowding in the county-operated jail on Highway 6, the county has been paying the company to hold prisoners there, which cuts into the $1 million a year CEC pays for use of the facility.

Among CEC’s secure facilities are the Limestone County Detention Center and the Falls County Jail and Detention Center in Marlin.

CEC Web Site

County commissioners said earlier a privately constructed jail would help them avoid a bond election and a tax increase, but opponents of privatization had argued against turning jail operations over to for-profit companies.

"It's a public safety concern,” said Ken Witt, president of the McLennan County Sheriff’s Officers Association told commissioners last month.

County officials were considering four potential alternatives.

The first option involved having a private firm build and operate the new jail, but for the county to continue to run the Highway 6 and downtown jail facilities.

The second, which commissioners approved Wednesday, involves having a private firm build and operate the new jail and to operate the downtown jail.

The third involved having a private firm build and operate the new jail and to contract with a private firm to operate both the Highway 6 and downtown jails.

The fourth proposal involved a contract with a private firm to build the new jail and to take over operations for all of the county’s jail facilities.

Last week, commissioners voted to continue to operate the Highway 6 jail as a publicly run facility, assuaging the concerns of staffers who feared the loss of income and benefits.


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Posted by: Former MSO Employee Location: Waco on Aug 15, 2008 at 12:28 AM
I stand right behind you Concern Citizen and MSO employee!!! I know all too well what you are talking about. I spoke out about something and later was told be fired or resign! I am not the only one...there are several others this has happened to!! I think before he points a finger at ya'll and berates ya'll for bad PR ... he should remember he has 4 fingers pointing back at himself. Look through KWTX website for the raw video of Sheriff Lynch saying 'I don't care what condition the inmate was in' when the inmate escaped from work detail. His demeanor and attitude was caught on tape!!!! So he is like calling the kettle black as far as I am concerned. MSO Jail Staff: Keep up the good work and continue to fight for what ya'll believe in. GOD BLESS!

Posted by: Concern Citizen and MSO employee Location: mclennan on Aug 14, 2008 at 07:07 PM
The action taken by the commissioners and Sheriff,should show you that our county government is corrupt. We that are employed by SO have known this for years. And before you ask why didn't we say something...we did. But who would listen to a no name. It's hard for people to come forward and speak out against a well known political fiqure. Especially when you know you will be retaliated against. On many occassions the Sheriff(whom couldn't find the comissioner's court on Tuesdays) will come to our 6:45 roll call and berate us for bad PR that makes the media. This man has berated,threaten and lied to us so much that if he were to say the sky is blue. Most of us would go outside to see for ourselves. I know many of you will ask why do we stay? 1.We need our jobs in order to provide for our families. 2.My co-workers will go above and beyond to help each other and we work very well together. Unfortunately, greed and self-interest has replaced honor and leadership.

Posted by: local girl Location: waco on Aug 14, 2008 at 06:31 PM
dude: the DA is one of them. It would be an absolute waste of time and breath to vent our angers to him. We already see the writing on the wall with regards to what is not going to happen to Margaret Mills. What makes you think another dirty elected official matters to Mr. Segrest?

Posted by: Common Sense Location: Hewitt on Aug 14, 2008 at 05:59 PM
Is this process and decision make any sense to anyone other than the sheriff and commissioners???? Why in the world would you give land to a private company to build "your" county jail and then at some point get charged to house "your" prisoners? Oh wait, I forget. Its just the taxpayers money they are playing with. When is election time?? Hmmmmmmmm

Posted by: uknow Location: here on Aug 14, 2008 at 04:48 PM
NOT BIG ENOUGH - AGAIN LEWIS CAN NOT PLAN PAST HIS ARSE! SEE A REBUILD AND MORE $$$ IN 2010. IT DON'T COST THE TAX PAYERS A DIME ........ RIGHTTTTTTTTT!

Posted by: dude Location: texas on Aug 14, 2008 at 10:20 AM
to really make a difference in your comunity, send your comment on this subject to the local d.a. if you dont get the desired response, go to the next level up. if enough people raise questions, someone will eventually listen.

Posted by: local gril Location: waco on Aug 14, 2008 at 10:18 AM
Theta, to answer your question, unfortunately in the State of Texas we have a Commission On Jail Standards. They require us to serve hot meals, provide climate controlled quarters, exercise facilities and medical attention to the bad seeds among us. If it were not for more "government" we could surely mimic Arizona. I hear you load and clear, but this is the ugle truth.

Posted by: Tone' Location: McLennan County on Aug 14, 2008 at 09:01 AM
I agree with "theta"

Posted by: theta Location: Waco on Aug 14, 2008 at 07:58 AM
How about instead of having a private company build a new jail, build a tent city jail similar to the one in Arizona. It's able to house thousands of prisoners and actually saves the county money because inmates work on chain gangs, run the animal shelter, a farm which provides food for the inmates, and a christmas tree farm. Think about it. It's no worse than what our service members are living in and they have to wear full sappi plates. Plus it would be an incentive to not break the law here.

Posted by: dirtyd Location: Texas on Aug 14, 2008 at 01:50 AM
How much will Sheriff Lynch make of this deal by keeping people in jail to create overcrowding to pad his pockets???My guess 40 thousand in addition to 100 thousand he already gets. Not bad for someone so busy that he could NOT or WOULD not attend weeks of meetings to decide this issue that he will be responsible for? 40 thousand reasons to stay away !!!!

Posted by: dirtyd Location: Texas on Aug 14, 2008 at 01:02 AM
How much will Jim Lewis put in his pocket over this deal that again he was the tye breaking vote in his idea? This will surely cost us taxpayers thousands maybe Millions when those 13 other companies sue and win!!!! I thought the good old boy days of the county judge giving his hunting buddy jail meal contracts was over . Guess NOT? Business as usual!!!!

Posted by: ras Location: centex on Aug 13, 2008 at 11:01 PM
I have never heard of recessing a meeting for 24 hours. Another slight of hand by the county judge. I don't know what is in it for the judge but think about this. If the population of cec is down, the sheriff moves in county prisoners to keep their population/revenue up. This is at the expense to tax payers. So the guy keeping revenues up for CEC is the same guy that they have paid $91,000 to. Yes Jack Harwell was paid by CEC but he did not provide them with a revenue stream at taxpayer expense. We need a new sheriff.

Posted by: Former MSO Employee Location: Waco on Aug 13, 2008 at 10:50 PM
WELL GO FIGURE! First CLEAT requests an inquiry regarding Sheriff Lynch and his receiving stipends from CEC, then Commissioner Mashek shedding light about CEC having a year to put together a proposal and putting Judge Lewis on the hot seat...and now this! And to boot, why was there no mention of this being on the agenda to vote on???? Something here stinks to high heaven and it sure ain't roses!!!!

Posted by: Nancy Location: Waco on Aug 13, 2008 at 10:31 PM
Throw these bums out: Lewis, Meadows, and Crunk. Hooray for Gibson and Mashek, who had the courage to buck the "three good 'ol boys". Contracting out our jails may be cheap on the money right now, but will cost us dearly in compromised safety and loss of local governmental control over what goes on in these facilities. Jim Lewis especially has shown how he's been way too chummy with the private company.

Posted by: e Location: nuff on Aug 13, 2008 at 08:58 PM
What a dog and pony show! I can think of one other thing that would be better run privatized....THE COMMISSIONERS COURT! That way the "for profit" aspect could be out in the open.

Posted by: Scott Gates Location: McLennan County on Aug 13, 2008 at 07:19 PM
If nothing else, they are consistent. Thankfully Crunk was fired by voters. If voters fire the sheriff who has received $91,000 from CEC while providing CEC with revenue derived from county prisioners, this will turn around. Remember in November.

Posted by: na Location: na on Aug 13, 2008 at 07:05 PM
we all know the disgusting things that happen in private jails...TYC!

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