Travis County Commissioners Court
April 24, 2007
Item 33
33 is to consider an take appropriate action regarding options to address potential inmate population increase during the summer of 2007.
>> david balagia, sheriff's office.
>> major?
>> we spoke last week about some different options as to how we could address what we believe to be a crowded situation that we are going to experience this summer which in part is going to be closing of 96 beds due to our new construction at del valle. We outlined a series of options, and without going all of those again, the ones that bill and I believe to be the most viable is to add the 120 variance beds, but also maintain the funds that you've set aside for potential out of county howtion. That may also need to occur. So that's my recommendation to the court. I don't know if bill has anything he wants to add.
>> bill derryberry with planning and budget. Just to mention that the reserve, the jail reserve that was appropriated for this year is $312,080 and it is still intact.
>> my motion is that those two points be two and three of a three-part motion. Let the first part be that we would join our area managers in the area of criminal justice and take advantage of each and every opportunity to reduce our jail population as much as possible before going to steps 2 and 3. With step 2 being the use of variance beds that we request, the additional 120 --
>> 120.
>> option 2-a, right? Urn bill's options -- under bill's options, that would be be option 2-a.
>> it would also be option 2 under the presentation that bill and major brought.
>> it would be basically that we would keep our -- the overcrowding reserve in place and if we need it after using variance beds that we would do so.
>> does the motion also allow -- let you sign the variance request that I would need to send to jail standards, judge?
>> would that request indicate to jail standards at least the first two?
>> it only speaks to the beds. I can redraft it with different language and then just send it to your office for signature.
>> maybe a cover letter that goes with the application for variance.
>> it does fnlt I'll change that to reflect it.
>> I'll second the motion.
>> I think what it ought to do is indicate the court's position and managers and justice and public safety are intent to do everything we can to keep the population as low as possible, but we understand that it may exceed our expectation and we may need 120 variance beds. They'll want us to say get it in writing or there that as soon as a new facility gets -- new beds get constructed, we will basically give these variance beds back anyway, right?
>> yes, sir. And I'll get that over -- I'll draft that up real quick and get it it over to your office. I'm already on the agenda for may 10th for jail standards, but at some point before the meeting I do need to get their backup. I'll get it over to you as quick as I can.
>> and judge, I don't think there's any question that we need to keep working as hard as we can with using every possible resource, but it's obvious that if you look at just the -- one of the pages in the bar graph comparing the '06 and '07, where we really are witnessing this is in the rocket docket. And having gotten the information that we got this morning and before we can even begin to think that the new chemists coming on is that we're going to see any sort of relief until January, that's if everything work right, that we almost don't have any choice. I mean, I do think that we need to be ever vigilant about everything that kimberly does with the -- I don't know what the letters are anymore. I don't think we have any choice but to move forward in this way.
>> I will add that one of the thing that the jail overcrowding taskforce has been missing -- we've been meeting since 2002. And I think now is a good opportunity to engage the city, especially with us going into an interlocal for the drug lab be and maybe we can put something in the interlocal that they will participate monthly with our taskforce. We have to get the city to the table because internally we can look at internal processes all day long, but it's mostly a.p.d. That are bringing these people to us and they are our partner and we need to bring them to the table.
>> would you think that mike mcdonald, would that -- because he's over that. He is the person that we need -- and I'm happy to call city management and say would you make sure that mike gets to the table on this becausic that he really needs to have that direct link into the city manager.
>> I completely agree and I've spoken with mike martinez as well. I was watching tv this past weekend and he was facilitating a public safety subcommittee. And the thought of the a.p.d. Drug lab actually came up. So you're looking -- they're looking at us as partners so we need to be looking at this.
>> any more discussion? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. Thank y'all very much.
>> thank you.
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Last Modified:
Thursday, April 26, 2007 2:10 PM