County Jail Capacity

Project Description

The Harris County Jail population grew during the COVID-19 pandemic. A few factors contributing to the increase in jail population included the growth of the court backlog (already high following Hurricane Harvey impacts), a spike in violent crime during the pandemic, and State legislative changes. In order to remain at recommended capacity levels, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office determined a need for outsourced jail capacity. Commissioners Court allocated $25.7 million to relocate Harris County Jail inmates to the Giles Dalby Correctional Facility in Post, Texas via a contract with Management & Training Corporation (MTC). The facility provides medical and dental services to inmates, as well as recreational spaces and transport to court as needed. The goals of this program are to provide a safer environment for both inmates and Harris County Sheriff’s Office personnel and to meet state jail regulations.

PRIMARY PARTNERSHIPS

TARGET IMPACT

  • Adding capacity via this project will provide safer housing and necessary health services for inmates while improving conditions for Harris County Jail employees and facilitating compliance with State jail standards.
  • The primary metric tracked for the project is the number of inmates housed at Giles Dalby (monthly average midnight count).
  • The average number of Harris County inmates housed at Dalby was 510 as of June 2024. During the same period, the average jail population at the Harris County Jail was 9,325.

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