Smith County Jail reviews future needs

SMITH COUNTY – According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, county officials are looking at future jail needs, but say there are no current plans to expand or seek bond funding.

County Judge Neal Franklin said the presentation of of a jail feasibility study is only to prepare for the future.

“This is something that I felt like we needed to present,” Franklin said. “There are no bond plans – let me make that really clear. There is no plan on putting a November bond election for any jail or anything in fact.”

The study looks at population growth, inmate trends, and the county’s current jail setup. Based on those findings, it projects future needs and how those could be met with new construction. The current capacity across the downtown and North Jail is 1,092 beds. According to the study, the county may need between 1,400 and 1,500 beds in the future.

To meet that demand, the study proposes adding 552 beds: 384 for the general population and 168 for medical and mental healthcare. It also notes a steady rise in the number of female inmates – about a 20% increase – as well as a growing share of inmates facing felony charges or awaiting trial.

The report points to issues many growing counties face, including admissions, intake, and release processes, inmate classification needs, and the need for more flexible housing. It recommends changing the mix of housing types: 36% minimum or medium dormitories, 51% maximum security multiple-occupancy cells, and 13% restrictive single-occupancy cells. The study also details rising medical and mental health needs. About 16% to 20% of inmates in mental health housing are seriously ill, while 40% to 60$ have mild to moderate mental illness. Between 60% and 80% have substance use disorders and 20% to 40% need detox.

The recommendation is to create a continuum of care, including detox and substance abuse treatment. If the county decides to build in the future, the timeline includes ten months for design, four months for permitting preparation, thirty months for construction and twelve months for renovations. The total estimated cost ranges from $170 million to $184 million, based on market conditions over the next two years.

Judge Franklin said strong support from the commissioners court, jail staff, the court system, and the the sheriff’s office has helped control jail population numbers so far.

“We are faced with making decisions as we move forward with this, hopefully many, many, many years from now.” Franklin said. “I’m very confident you will appreciate seeing it.”

Article originally written by Katecey Harrell, and published by the Tyler Morning Telegraph.