Management and Performance Review of County Government ...

Judicial and Public Safety Functions
makes transfers to state prisons, or an exceptional willingness on the county’s part to
house TDCJ inmates in return for a negotiated per diem fee.
A more significant concern is that nearly 60 percent of the county’s jail population
represents pre-trial inmates, compared to the statewide average of 48.6 percent.
A systematic and empirically based review of this data should be periodically
undertaken in order to determine if the practices, policies, procedures and/or program
offerings could be modified to benefit the county and its citizens.
COMMENDATION
The percent of pretrial misdemeanants locked-up in the Jefferson County jail was
about 43 percent of the statewide average.
RECOMMENDATION 7-1:
Jefferson County should review its pre-trial release program and practices to
determine why its percent of felony pre-trial detainees is so high compared to the
statewide average.
The county could consider contracting for an independent analysis of the jail
population to determine if county policies, procedures and practices could be modified to
the benefit of the county. This review should include an assessment of alternatives to
incarceration to determine if they might allow the county to reduce its costs while
maintaining public safety.
MGT interviewed employees of the county’s Pre-Trial Release Program
Department (which is a separate department within the county and not part of the
Sheriff’s Office). It was apparent that, while they are hard-working, dedicated individuals,
they can accomplish little under their present working arrangements.
At the time of MGT’s review, the position of program department head was
temporarily vacant, as the incumbent was in Iraq; an assessment specialist was standing
in for the department head and handling her owns duties as well. Each day she has to
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