Downtown Waco jail to remain closed, cost money without inmate increase

Waco Trib ^ | Posted 3 months ago | CASSIE L. SMITH

[FreetheSouth!]

McLennan County’s downtown jail, closed since 2010, continues to cost money in the form of utility expenses, and its future remains uncertain because of a lack of prisoners.

Keeping the lights on and occasional maintenance in the facility helps prevent the jail from further dilapidation. Commissioners have spent about $1.2 million in renovations since its closing.

County officials hoped the downtown facility could reopen to house overflow from the Jack Harwell Detention Center, but so far there hasn’t been one.

County Judge Scott Felton said LaSalle Corrections, which manages the Jack Harwell center, could potentially house its inmates in the county’s downtown jail, bringing in a revenue stream for the county to help offset the cost of Jack Harwell.

Overflow was expected from housing inmates sent from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but ICE has stopped sending those awaiting deportation, resulting in a decrease of funds for LaSalle Corrections.

“What was driving that demand for beds is the amount of ICE prisoners that LaSalle was holding for the federal government. Now there’s not (as) many arrests for undocumented folks as there was,” Felton said.

Renovations to the downtown jail halted in April 2014. Felton said the facility still needs a ventilation system, but could open quickly if needed. LaSalle Corrections has offered to put up the funding needed to open the doors.

Felton said the Jack Harwell Detention Center is operating between 50 and 60 percent capacity as officials continue to look to other state and federal agencies for contracts to house inmates as a way to bring in more funding.

[FreetheSouth!]

You don't think...Naw, they would't do that...would they?

[Smokin' Joe]

But wait, there's more.... (private business)

[Parmy]

We have one of those debacles here in Yakima. A number of years ago the feckless county commissioners determined that going into the prisoner business was going to be profitable. It wasn't.

The other municipalities determined it was cheaper to house their own prisoners. So now the facility stands empty. A multimillion dollar fiasco.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

WHAT! Didn’t they just arrest 140 or so bikers?

[vette6387]

“WHAT! Didn’t they just arrest 140 or so bikers?”

Well, if they were “going into the prisoner business,” why did they kill nine potential inmates? Someone didn’t get “the memo!”