Outsourcing more than 1,000 inmates to jails outside of Harris County’s overcrowded jails remains the single most expensive budgeted item taxpayers pay for, according to Budget Director Daniel Ramos. On Feb. 27, Harris County commissioners unanimously approved $2.85 million in funding for additional Harris County jail staff.

The big picture

Harris County spends $58 million on outsourcing at least 1,400 inmates to jails in Louisiana and Mississippi, according to Ramos. The approved funding measure by county commissioners to fund 175 jail staff positions will address cost-effective efforts to bring more inmates back to Harris County. The funding will also tackle unsustainable mandatory overtime faced by current detention officers, officials said.

At one point, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office had more than 100 detention officer vacancies, Ramos said. Various county efforts to reduce those vacancy numbers included offering raises, bonuses and investing in recruitment services. The latest number for detention officer vacancies stands at 38.

“We’re finally at a point now that we filled the slots," Ramos said. "We can take the next step and start being strategic about our human capital and ensuring that, one, they have a safe staffing ratio, as well as a sustainable staffing ratio."

The cost

Overtime for jail staff stood at 16% of the overall labor budget for the Sheriff’s Department, according to fiscal year 2024-25 budget documents. When commissioners approved the $2.4 billion budget in September, jail costs saw an increase of $1.9 million, which included maintenance costs, inmate food expenses and jail medical costs.

Dig deeper

Overcrowding and understaffing remains an issue that has led to failed state safety inspections and fatal outcomes at the Harris County Jail. As of Jan. 13, jail officials received a non-compliant notice by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards for failing to have the appropriate number of jail staff in a 24-hour period.

The state commission’s notice listed a custodial death as the result of not completing the required face-to-face observations between inmates and jail staff, according to documents from the state’s commission.

During the Feb. 27 commissioners court meeting, Assistant Chief Phillip Bosquez said the state has the county’s plan of action to address issues and are awaiting re-inspection.

“We look to fill these new positions in the next few months. We’re very optimistic about that,” Bosquez said.