By C1 Staff
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas — Two potential solutions were presented to solve the overcrowding problem at the Montgomery County Jail, and they could cost taxpayers $200 million.
The Cleveland Advocate reports that the current facility could either be expanded to the tune of $197 million, or a new facility could be constructed for $202 million.
Either scenario would satisfy projected needs through 2034.
The current jail is an aging facility with some infrastructure problems, and has recently become “at risk” for overcrowding a year after the county sold the Joe Corley Detention Center to the GEO Group in May 2013.
The Corley Center was built in 2008 to address future needs. When the county couldn’t occupy at least 30 percent of the facility’s capacity with county inmates, they risked losing an IRS tax-exempt status gained in the financing of the facility. Thus, the facility went up for sale.
Since then, the Montgomery County Jail’s capacity has jumped from 85 percent to 94 percent, and has stayed around 90 percent at present.
Commissioners have agreed that more research needs to be done on what direction would be best for the county, the jail, inmates and residents.