(July 8, 2008)—McLennan County sent requests to 14 vendors around the country for plans to ease overcrowding in the county’s jail facilities, but Tuesday there was just one response on the table when county commissioners sat down to begin to review proposals, and it was from the company that now leases the county’s old downtown jail.

Community Education Centers, which used to be known as CiviGenics, 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.

County commissioners are hoping that a privately constructed jail will help them avoid a bond election and a tax increase, but opponents of privatization turned out Tuesday for a third straight week to argue 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.

“Someone else could escape, like Sherman Fields. He killed one of the citizens of McLennan County when he escaped," Witt said.

In November 2001, Fields escaped from the privately run downtown jail where he was held on federal firearms charges.

He was recaptured 18 days later and charged with aggravated robbery in a carjacking at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.

Later, he was named in a federal indictment that laid out a string of charges including escape and use and carrying a firearm that resulted death.

The victim was his ex-girlfriend, Suncerey Coleman, who disappeared from Hillcrest where she was attending a class on newborn care.

Her body was found three days after Fields was recaptured.

He was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in 2004.

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Bob Libal of the nonprofit group Grassroots Leadership was also in the commissioner’s courtroom Tuesday.

He and Witt agree that statistics show security holes in private facilities.

"A criminologist did a study showing that private prisons have 49 percent higher violence against staff and 65 percent higher prisoner on prisoner violence," Libal said.

But County Judge Jim Lewis said any jail faces potential security issues.

"They're talking about incidents that happen at private jails. They happen at public jails also. You have to take all that into consideration," Lewis said.

Witt is also concerned that a private takeover would jeopardize his job and those of 200 other current county jail employees.

Lewis says money remains a big issue for the county, but will not override safety, and the commissioners will need time to consider it before any decision is made.

County officials are considering four potential alternatives.

The first option involves 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 involves having a private firm build and operate the new jail and to operate the downtown jail.

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

"Operation cost. That's the bottom line,” Lewis said.

“Sometimes the cheapest is not the best. So we've got to look at what's best for the county,” he said."

(Megan Fleetwood contributed to this story)

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