The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office is working to find ways to combat a lack of staffing after continued recruitment and retention issues.

The approach

At a July 10 Fort Bend County Commissioners Court meeting, FBCSO officials urged county officials to act fast regarding staffing shortages, citing poor working conditions and noncompetitive pay as reasons why the department is struggling to hire and retain detention employees.

To allow the FBCSO to reduce the stress of overtime on short-staffed employees, FBCSO officials recommended either:
  • Increasing detention staff pay and benefits by 11% to 15%
  • Entering into an agreement with a private correctional facility to manage 322 inmates for a three-year period at a cost of $10.57 million per year
According to agenda documents, the county can’t transfer inmates to facilities in other counties because sheriff’s departments statewide are also facing staffing challenges with increased operational demands and costs due to:
  • Jailers leaving for higher-paying jobs in school districts after the passage of House Bill 3, which requires school districts to hire armed guards
  • The potential increase of inmate populations due to Texas Senate Bill 4, which is on hold in 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and would allow law enforcement to arrest people illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border
Breaking it down

The inmate population in the Fort Bend County Jail fluctuates between 900-950 inmates, FBCSO Assistant Chief Deputy Manuel Zamora said. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards, the state’s regulatory agency, requires a staffing ratio of one staff member to 48 inmates.


The county’s staffing rate supports 578 inmates, requiring detention staff to work their required five shifts plus one additional eight-hour shift, he said.


“[Staffing] is a problem that is nationwide, [but] other agencies are meeting it where we are not,” Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan said. “Just in Fort Bend County alone, we have jurisdictions within 100 miles that are giving signing bonuses of $10,000.”

Taking a step back

At an April 23 meeting, Fort Bend County commissioners approved an additional $110 per pay period for detention personnel to help alleviate the stress of mandatory overtime. The supplemental pay cost the county $440,782 for the rest of the fiscal year 2023-24 budget.


Additionally, civilian detention staff received a $3-per-hour raise in 2021, according to agenda documents.

What happens next?

Fort Bend County Judge KP George requested FBSCO officials meet with the human resources and finance departments to determine a solution to bring to commissioners at the next meeting on July 23.