State’s Largest County Jail Passes Inspection

Office of Sheriff Adrian Garcia—April 27th, 2010

The Harris County Jail system has passed inspection after a comprehensive, unscheduled, one-week examination by a Texas Commission on Jail Standards team.

“This certificate of compliance is a direct result of your department’s commitment to excellence and further attests, signifies and demonstrates your department’s dedication and professionalism in maintaining a safe, secure and sanitary facility,” Commission Executive Director Adan Munoz Jr. wrote in a letter received today by Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia.

A certificate was enclosed. The inspection was conducted last week.

The letter also thanked Harris County Commissioners’ Court for its continued support, financial and otherwise, of jail operations.

The sheriff said passing state inspection was the result of hard work by hundreds of his staffers, led by Detention Bureau Major Mike Smith and Criminal Justice Bureau Major Fred Brown.

“This is just the beginning of our efforts to not only stay in compliance with state regulations, but also to use ‘best practices’ and become a comprehensive model for all urban county jails,” the sheriff said. “My gratitude and congratulations go to the dedicated front-line employees of the sheriff’s office.”

Included in the inspection were fire safety, life safety, sanitation, medical facilities, record-keeping, guard-to-inmate ratios, inmate housing arrangements and many other aspects of the jail system, which is the state’s largest.

The system this week houses about 9,300 inmates, with an additional 1,200 inmates placed in jails outside the county to stay within state restrictions on the capacity of the Harris County facilities.

The jail returned to compliance in 2009 after failing an inspection earlier that year.