HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — After a weeklong inspection from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, the Harris County Jail will remain on a list of 13 jails in the state that are in non-compliance, the sheriff's office announced Friday.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said the inspection covered 24 review areas, which included admission and release processes, health services, supervision, discipline, exercise, education, commissary and visitation.
Staffing shortages appeared to be a major problem at the jail, with 150 vacancies for detention officers and 100 positions unfilled for jail deputies. According to HCSO, these vacancies coincide with the highest jail population in more than a decade.
The sheriff's office said the average person kept in their jail spends more than 200 days behind bars, compared to the national average of around 30 days, even though nearly 1,000 defendants have been outsourced to jails in other areas.
Another area the jail fell short in was performing visual checks on inmates within the required time. Inspectors also said people booked into the jail are waiting too long to be assigned a cell.
There were also two cases in which inspectors found that prescribed medicine was not delivered on time.
Inspectors did however note several areas of improvement. They said cleanliness had improved and people generally seemed to have a more positive disposition.
The commission is expected to publish its full report in the coming days.
On Friday, HCSO said it will draft a 'corrective action plan' within 30 days.