Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Freestone County sheriff warns jail overcrowding is hindering arrests and public safety
Summary
The Freestone County Sheriff told commissioners the county'run jail has 43 beds and widespread out'of'county placements; bed shortages are forcing the sheriff to refuse some arrestees, complicating prosecutions and prompting calls for emergency contracts and budgeted facility upgrades.
Freestone County'run law enforcement officials told the Freestone County Commissioners Court that the county jail'which the sheriff said has 43 beds'is so full that deputies have refused to accept some arrestees and are housing dozens of prisoners out of county.
"We have 43 beds," the Freestone County Sheriff said, explaining the department has had to turn away or refuse intake for some detainees because there is nowhere to hold them. He said the shortage has forced the office to place people in other counties and to weigh which arrests to execute.
The discussion followed a written public submission to the commissioners describing what its author called "urgent public safety concerns" about local arrest and intake practices. The sheriff told the court that the jail'originally built in the 1980s and meant as a shorter'term solution'is now chronically full and that neighboring counties are often unwilling to accept Freestone County prisoners except in…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
