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Nueces County approves interlocal agreements to move inmates after jail declared noncompliant
Summary
Facing jail overcapacity (near 98–100%), the court approved memoranda of understanding with neighboring counties to house selected inmates while pressing courts and DA to speed case processing; the sheriff warned of daily noncompliance risks and estimated monthly transfer costs.
Nueces County commissioners on July 7 approved interlocal agreements to transfer selected inmates to neighboring Aransas and Victoria counties to relieve severe overcrowding at the county jail.
Sheriff explained the jail has been above 90 percent capacity for months and recently reached 98–100 percent; the Texas Commission on Jail Standards issued a notice of noncompliance tied to classification and housing constraints that follow high occupancy. Sheriff’s staff identified available bed space in Aransas and Victoria counties and proposed moving inmates in increments (roughly 20–22 beds per county), with daily per‑inmate charges that the sheriff estimated would be about $60–$71 per day depending on the host county and services required.
Commissioners debated alternatives including accelerating criminal dockets, pursuing local diversion programs and longer term remedies such as the county’s proposed diversion center. The sheriff said many jailed defendants are violent‑offense suspects not eligible for release under current rules and noted that the backlog stems in part from court closures and delays during the pandemic.
Court action: Commissioners voted to authorize the county attorney to finalize the interlocal memoranda with Aransas and Victoria counties, subject to adding language acknowledging COVID‑related backlog and other temporary conditions. The court also asked staff to prepare a status letter to state authorities detailing the county’s remediation steps under jail standards.
Financial and operational notes: The sheriff warned the transfers could cost roughly $80,000 monthly for moving 40 inmates at the estimated daily rates. Commissioners said the interlocals are a short‑term remedy while the county pursues operational and judicial actions to reduce pretrial population, and they directed coordination among county legal, jail and emergency management staff to execute transfers as needed.
