CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On Wednesday, Nueces County Commissioners Court heard the long-awaited results from the Nueces County Jail assessment.
The results were how some might have expected.
“As far as the physical plant goes of the jail, it’s not good,” said Brian Lee of CGL Companies
In December 2022, for $200,000 Nueces County Sheriff J.C. Hooper contracted CGL Companies to assess the needs of the jail for the physical structure, how it operates and the the profile of the inmates housed there. Through months of observation and dozens of interviews with people in the criminal justice system, they presented a snapshot of their findings.
CGL Companies concluded that the county needs to start the process of replacing the current jail.
"I would be remiss in my responsibility as the Nueces County Sheriff if I didn’t just take care of today, but take care of five years, ten years from now,” Hooper said.
The current jail was built 48 years ago and can hold 1,167 inmates.
The assessment found the current jail is in bad shape. The space is not being utilized efficiently, it has an obsolete design and in serious need of modernization.
"A lot of the overall major systems fail on a regular basis that make it very difficult and demanding on security staff and maintenance staff," Lee said.
“A lot has changed in the last 48 years since this building was built," Hooper said. "And so, now when you look at transitional correctional facilities, like county jails, there’s much more emphasis placed on treatment.”
"The updates that we've gotten from the sheriff over the years have really explained and laid out the importance of technology, and how it could require fewer staff and they could control a larger inmate population, " said Commissioner John Marez.
The current jail doesn’t have a space for programs to help with recidivism or a space for mental health treatment.
As for the staff at the jail, CGL Companies found that the jail has been understaffed, partly because of retention and recruitment. However, it was noted during the presentation that staffing has improved since the assessment took place last spring and summer.
A more modern jail could help with staffing. The Nueces County Jail uses remote monitoring which can spread a staff thin, according to the report.
The last analysis involved the inmate population. CGL Comapnies analyzed the amount of men and women who have been held at the jail over the last five to seven years and what crimes they were charged with.
On average, 11,000 to 12,000 people are brought into the jail each year. Two thirds are only in for about 10 days after getting booked, a court date and released.
While crime in the county is trending downward, the analysis shows more felony crimes are occurring, thus increasing the jail population. CGL Companies found 80 percent of inmates are in for felonies. Of that, 43 percent are in for violent felony charges. The felony population has continued to rise each year since 2015.
Taking all that into account, the assessment concluded the number of people booked per year and the average daily population will continue to steadily rise over the next decade.
“The result of this assessment they’re predicting that 10 years from now we are going to need about 1,600 beds in our county jail facility,” Hooper said.
“We all know the shape the county’s in. I mean, lets be clear, we understand this is a statutory responsibility of the county, as well,” County Judge Connie Scott said.
Scott was clear, the county knows it needs to move forward with a new jail, however money is a big question mark.
“Funding is going to be the big piece. I mean, where do you come up with millions of dollars to do something like this. The county is limited on their funding,” Hooper said.
While commissioners explore how this could be funded, they can get the ball rolling on a development strategy study or a feasibility study on a new jail facility.
CGL Companies recommends if they can figure out funding, they can then go about a site selection and site development. The County will have to develop a plan for how the jail space should be used and then run through a cost model. Then, an analysis on how a new facility would impact staffing should be done.
After all that is figured, the county could then put the project out to bid if they felt comfortable with everything.
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