Ector County Commissioners to Vote on Jail Expansion

ODESSA, TEXAS -- Ector County Commissioners will vote Monday morning on issuing $25 million of public debt to the expansion of the Ector County Jail.

The Commissioners Court meeting began at 10 a.m. this morning in the commissioners’ courtroom in the Ector County Administration Building Annex located at 1010 E. Eight St.

According to local news reports, the Sheriff’s office transports inmates in and out of the county to other jails across the state every day in order to alleviate overcrowding and to stay in compliance with state standards. In addition, the county spends thousands of dollars every day to house Ector County inmates in other jails.

Sheriff Mike Griffis said, that with the population in Ector County expected to increase, the jail population will likely increase, as well.

The expansion would include three more jail pods, two of which would be capable to house maximum-level offenders and one to hold medium-level offenders. There would also be expansions to storage, laundry, kitchen and medical areas.

The jail currently has 667 beds. If the expansion is approved, the jail will see an increase to 1,147 beds.

Issues of staffing the jail and concerns of overhead costs of the jail expansion were brought up by Precinct 2 Commissioner Greg Simmons, but a majority vote by the other commissioners pushed the process forward.

The most recent action commissioners took regarding the jail expansion was for a rating agency to provide a bond rating on the $25 million issuance of debt.