Tom Green County Jail Receives State Certification After Inspection

SAN ANGELO, TX -- Tom Green County Commissioners on Tuesday learned the Tom Green County Jail received an annual Certificate of Compliance from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.  

Sheriff David Jones and Jail Captain Todd Allen told Commissioners the inspection was one of the best the jail has ever received.  County Judge Steve Floyd said he sat in on the exit interview with new inspector who was impressed with the efforts of the jail administration and staff.  

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards was created by the Texas Legislature in 1975.  According to the commission’s website, in 1983 the legislature added county and city jails to the TCJS jurisdiction.  

The TCJS is charged with creating reasonable written rules and procedures establishing minimum standards, inspection procedures, enforcement policies and technical assistance for the construction, equipment, maintenance, and operation of jail facilities under its jurisdiction; the custody, care and treatment of inmates; programs of rehabilitation, education, and recreation for inmates confined in county and municipal jail facilities under its jurisdiction.

There are basically two sections of the jail, the old section which built in 1976 and the new section which was completed in the 1990’s.  The building has been renovated several times but is landlocked and the Commissioner’s Court has authorized construction of a new jail on U.S. 67 North near the Roy K. Robb detention and treatment center. 

The new jail is currently under construction and should be completed in the summer of 2019.  Because of TCJS requirements, the new jail was recently expanded because the cost of operating two jails was too expensive.  Once the new jail is operational, the old jail will be shut down.

As we reported earlier, Commissioners issued $8.2 million in new debt to expand the new jail to 553 beds so they can shut down the old jail and operate only one facility.