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Sheriff asks court to reserve 36 beds in Angelina County as jail staffing and expansion are studied
Summary
Sheriff Lions asked the court to approve a six‑month agreement with Angelina County to reserve 36 inmate beds at $75 per day (estimated $486,000 for 180 days) while the county works to raise staffing and study options to add 200–250 beds to its jail; the court approved pursuing the agreement and allocated $20,000 for a study of the old jail.
Sheriff Lions told Polk County commissioners on Jan. 27 that the sheriff's office has been housing inmates out of state and is seeking to reserve 36 beds in Angelina County for a six‑month term to bring detainees closer and reduce transport and overtime costs. The proposed rate is $75 per inmate per day for a 180‑day period; the packet presented to the court listed the minimum cost for 36 beds over 180 days at $486,000.
"Our ultimate goal is working toward bringing all our inmates back to Polk County," Lions said, while acknowledging the office is short staffed. The sheriff said the primary obstacle to returning more inmates is staffing numbers — the jail was reported to be short by about 13 positions — not bed space. The sheriff said the six‑month term would provide time to raise staffing levels and start moving inmates back as positions are filled.
Commissioners discussed prior pay increases and funding that had been applied to retain officers and jail staff (references in the meeting noted discretionary raises and SB22 funds applied to law‑enforcement payroll). The court reported it had added 10 positions this cycle, at an estimated recurring personnel cost of about $700,000.
Court members approved the motion to pursue the Angelina County agreement and agreed to fund a site study of the old jail; the court previously allocated $20,000 for that study. Commissioners discussed whether remodeling the old facility or building new capacity would be more cost‑effective and noted the county must meet jail commission and ADA requirements, which could affect final cost estimates.
No final construction decision was made at the meeting; the court approved the short‑term housing arrangement and study to inform later capital decisions.
