Smith County jail report: 912 total inmates; staff recruitment ongoing

At the Jan. 7, 2025 Smith County Commissioners Court meeting, jail leadership reported a total inmate population of 912 and provided a breakdown of custody categories, staffing openings and recruitment activity.

Chief (Sheriff’s Office staff) told the court the federal inmate count was 22 and the Smith County count was 889, for a total population cited as 912. The chief provided additional custody details recorded into the report: pretrial felonies 456; pretrial state jail felonies 159; pretrial misdemeanors 84; parole violators with and without new charges; sentenced inmates and inmates sent to the emergency room (10). The chief also gave operational figures for the jail’s contract housing expenditure for FY25 ($45,090) and cited a federal inmate per diem figure for FY25 ($153,760) as read on the record.

Staff reported three current openings; recent hiring activity included one hire in the previous two weeks, four interviews in the previous two weeks, and several applicants in background or exam stages. The chief summarized applicant pipeline numbers from the last two weeks: 78 short‑form applicants, six long‑form applicants; and multiple candidates in background checks, exams or scheduled interviews.

Why it matters: inmate counts, custody composition and staffing levels inform court oversight of public safety operations, budgets and recruitment priorities.

What the court did: Commissioners heard the report and praised jail staff for keeping vacancy numbers low; no action or vote was required on the record.

What was not said: the report did not include a multi‑month staffing plan or projected hiring timeline beyond the immediate applicant pipeline described on the record.