Court awards jail repairs contract

LIBERTY— Repairs to the Liberty County Jail have been underway, and they are set to ramp up after the awarding of an emergency contract last week.

That contract will be with White Construction to make plans and emergency repairs to the jail as county leaders work to avoid a complete closure by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.

This is just the most recent move by the court following the TCJS issuing a Second Amended Remedial Order addressing non-compliance issues and ceasing all operations in April.

The county has already been conducting repairs related to a fire just days before the state issued its order. Those repairs were expected to wrap up soon if they have not been completed already.

The county has continued efforts to move inmates to other counties, and the court approved an amendment to an agreement with Young County during its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 27. The county also has contracts with Kerr, Jasper, Johnson, McLennan and San Jacinto counties.

Last week, the jail was still housing 125 inmates in open and operational dorms. According to Jail Administrator Heather Urias Guerrero, the facility continues to book and house inmates.