Hays County Jail faces population challenges

"I would say we will continue repairing and keeping this jail running because we're able to do that right now," Cutler said.

On March 14, the inmate population at the jail was 292, putting it at 80.7 percent of its capacity. State law mandates jails operate at no greater than 95 percent capacity.

Cutler took over from former Sheriff Tommy Ratliff in November 2010. Between 2009 and 2010, the county spent $954,350 outsourcing prisoners to Guadalupe County. That amount was reduced to $135,500 in 2011 and to $0 in 2012.

Lon Shell, chief of staff for Hays County Judge Bert Cobb, said the county's contingency plans include the possibility of outsourcing, but it would only be used during emergency situations.

Shell said that although the analysis assumed the inmate population would increase along with the county's, he is not sure that is a safe assumption.

"I don't expect us to have to use our outsourcing contingencies anytime soon," Shell said. "Obviously Hays County's population will continue to increase every year. We've seen an increase in our population, yet our jail population has gone down mainly through efficiency of the entire judicial system."

Cutler said his staff's relationship with the courts has helped bring inmates before judges more quickly, reducing the overall population. Manual labor credits, which allow inmates to work to reduce the amount of time they have to serve, have also been effective, Cutler said.

As for a new county jail, Shell said the sheriff's office and county commissioners are examining the findings from the analysis and will take their time in formulating a plan for housing the county's inmate population.

"I think we have time to [expand the jail] right," Shell said. "I don't think we're going to rush to any judgments on what we need to do, and any time you're talking about jail expansions or remodels, it's usually a complicated process. You don't build jails overnight."