Shelby County Jail is working to restore compliance with state standards

CENTER, Texas (KTRE) – A memo from the Texas Commission on Prison Standards identifies eight areas in which state officials believe the Shelby County Jail has failed.

One problem is inadequate lighting in the cells, which is the only standard that District Judge Allison Harbison says she can fix. The rest is up to prison staff.

“One non-compliant spot is bad enough, but what if there are eight?” says Harbison.

The report says that since July 18, the jail has not been giving inmates prescriptions as ordered by doctors, that inmate observations are delayed and that kitchen staff do not have licenses to handle food. Chad Hooper, deputy chief of the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, said the increased jail population is causing things to be overlooked.

“When you're used to having 35 and then you go to 63, that's a huge deal in a facility like ours,” Hooper said.

He said they were letting things slide because the average prisoner population had increased after Covid and they only had 15 guards.

“When you have twice as many inmates, it’s twice as much work,” Hooper said.

The report also says that their kitchen health inspection is six months overdue and that they cannot prove that inmates have sufficient recreational time as required by law.

Hooper said they are already working on getting things back in order.

“We report to the Prison Commission every Friday. We also have a compliance officer,” Hooper said.

This official will be responsible for ensuring that state inspection standards are met. Both Hooper and Harbison will report at TCJS meetings every three months until the standards are met.

“I am confident we can do it,” Harbison said.

Harbison said commissioners would discuss the report at their court meeting on Wednesday and may seek bids to repair lighting and water and electricity supplies to the prison cells.

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