Montgomery County taking action to reduce jail overcrowding

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - Montgomery County is taking action to address jail overcrowding by housing prisoners in Waller County. In a decision approved Tuesday, Montgomery County will transfer 45 prisoners to Waller County Jail. Due to overcrowding, the county is offering two-for-one time to inmates. 

What we know:

"We’re riding so close to our numbers we’re running over capacity," said Sheriff Doolittle of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. 

The outsourcing will cost $75 per prisoner, totaling about $3,300 a day. Under the agreement, Waller County will provide housing, food, and medical care for the prisoners, while Montgomery County will handle transportation to and from court and between counties. Some Montgomery County commissioners have explored alternative housing options for inmates, including the possibility of using tents, but Sheriff Doolittle noted that they must meet jail standards.

"About 70 to 80% of inmates in our jail are pre-trial felons, and we’re actively working with the judges to get people released that do not need to be there, especially those that are terminally ill or getting into a state that gets harder and more expensive for us to take care of them," said Doolittle. 

According to Sheriff Doolittle, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards allows the jail to house about 90% of its capacity, but the county jail has been operating at 94% to 116% capacity. The sheriff also mentioned that his office is collaborating with ICE to remove illegal immigrants from the jail. At one point, the jail housed about 115 migrants, with ICE taking custody of approximately 75, leaving 50 migrants currently remaining.