Outsourcing inmates cost county $167,000 for week of July 7-13

Hays County spent $167,719 outsourcing inmates from the Hays County Jail to other jail facilities across the region during the week of July 7-13, according to a weekly report by Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra.

“The estimated cost for outsourcing inmates this week was $167,719. The average number of outsourced males is 266 and females are eight,” Becerra said. “Paper ready inmates we have 47, and those are state inmates [that have] gone through our judicial system and are no longer county inmates. That should be on the state dime, not the county's dime.”

Outsourcing costs for two weeks prior was $171,297 and for one month prior was $166,091.

The Vera Institute of Justice Hays County Jail Dashboard has not been updated since July 6, so the Daily Record will not be including inmate demographic information or information on charge class and time held in jail.

Compared to two weeks prior, the estimated cost for outsourcing inmates from the jail decreased by $3,578, however, the jail population’s daily average has increased by 11 inmates, and the peak increased by 11 inmates. Compared to one month prior, the cost for outsourcing inmates increased by $1,628. The jail’s daily average increased by 26 inmates, and the peak increased by 12 inmates.

During Hays County Commissioners Court, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra updates the community on the jail population and outsourcing costs.

“The Sheriff’s Office sends my office a report about our jail capacity,” Becerra said. “Our current maximum jail capacity is 410 inmates. Jail Standards recommends holding approximately 10% of that capacity open, which lowers our capacity to 368.”

Becerra said, for the week of July 7 to 13, the jail’s daily average was 570 inmates, and the peak was 578 on July 12. The inmates were housed in Haskell, Comal and Maverick counties. When reported two weeks prior, for the week of June 23 to June 29, Becerra said the jail’s daily average was 559 inmates, and the peak was 567 on June 26. When reported one month prior, for the week of June 9 to 15, Becerra said the jail’s daily average was 544 inmates, and the peak was 555 inmates on June 12.