Austin County Jail Sees More Women, Needs More Space
After a review by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards found the Austin County jail to be deficient in its space for female inmates, county commissioners discussed how to correct the problem last month. Report from the Sealy News.
Austin County Judge Carolyn Bilski [said] “When they built the jail in the 1980s, women weren’t in jail as often. It was very unusual to see females have to be jailed.” But the growing population and change in laws have contributed to the increase in female inmates. More and more, women are being jailed for offenses like theft by check, drug charges and driving under the influence, according to Bilski.
After the jail commission’s review of the county’s facilities, though, officials are looking at other alternatives, such as adding on to the current facility or building a new jail. But with the cost to build a new facility hovering around $15 million – not including maintenance costs – the county is considering adding on to the current facility as a more cost-effective remedy.
In the meantime, county sheriff’s office personnel have brought in portable buildings and have reallocated some of their space, “so some of the crowding issues have been resolved,” Bilski said. “They have made extra effort to resolve their problem on a pay-as-you-go basis,” she added. [However] “We’re anticipating that the male and female population will continue to be the same or increase, and the seriousness of the offender and the safety concerns regarding inmates are going to continue to increase,” Bilski said.
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