Hays County Jail outsourcing numbers continue to increase

The amount Hays County spent on outsourcing inmates the week of April 28-May 4 is the highest weekly total yet this year.

According to the weekly report from the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, the average daily number of Hays County inmates was 530, with a peak of 538 on May 1. A daily average of 212 male inmates and two female inmates were outsourced that week for a total cost of $75,203. The inmates were outsourced to Bell, Burnet, Caldwell, McLennan, Limestone and Walker counties.

The Hays County Jail has a maximum capacity of 362 inmates. However, Texas Jail Standards recommends that jails keep 10 percent of their capacity available. That 10 percent, plus segregation and medical beds, leaves the jail with a current capacity of 311 inmates.

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra reads the weekly jail population report aloud each week during the Hays County Commissioners Court meeting. Once a month, Becerra also provides information on the amount and kind of work performed by Hays County Jail trustees and the monetary value of that work.