Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown has disputed reports that the jail population recently exceeded 100% capacity.
The county’s jail population management department had emailed the figure to county staff and media Sept. 2, the morning after Labor Day.
At least three members of the commissioners court raised an alarm when that number was released after the holiday weekend.
But in an open letter to media recently, Brown wrote that the Texas Commission on Jail Standards’ 2024 inspection allows the jail to house up to 7,364 inmates — and that number had not been reached.
The jail population management email reported 7,124 people in jail as of 7 a.m. that morning.
It also read:
"Urgent: Immediate Action Required — 100% jail capacity. All hands-on deck! We remain in a state of emergency. Please EXPEDITE the processing of all eligible jail releases without delay. Your swift action is critical and greatly appreciated."
That day, County Criminal Justice Director Charlene Randolph told commissioners that
the courts are getting extra help to process and release eligible people.
"We are in crisis," she said. "We are at a hundred percent, our book-ins are at record levels. And so if people are brought here, we have to find ways to get them out."
Sheriff spokesperson Chanel Williams says Brown had stated to other media that the jail population changes constantly because of the churn of people being booked in.
Monday morning’s jail count email again reported 100 percent capacity at 7,086.
The Friday before Labor Day weekend began, County Commissioner John Wiley Price, who chairs the jail population committee, said the jail was being prepped since before the Fourth of July in anticipation of nearing capacity.
Old cells were made usable and portable beds were brought in to house more people.
Facilities staff had rushed to clear mold and update long-ago de-commissioned cells.
Hundreds of inmates awaiting transfer to a state jail or mental facility were contributing to the capacity issues, Price had said.
"We've got 300 or 400 people who are paper ready to be transferred," Price said. "But when the state knows that they have up to 45 days and they pick up 48 here, and then we call them and say, 'look, can you pick up more?' They pick up 40 there. That doesn't help us."
The state, though, is also challenged by understaffing and hefty workloads, he said.
"Our backs against the wall and we're having to do what we got to do to be in compliance," Price said. "We don't want the sanctions."
Price said then that he had called the Texas Commission on Jail Standards to make them aware of the action being taken to stay within regulation.
In her letter, Brown also pointed out that jail and court computer programs communicate poorly.
District Attorney John Creuzot has said that the software's poor communication can cause adjudication delays.
Delays mean people sit in jail waiting for court processing, which also can lead to a high jail population.
The computer system activated two years ago has been a disaster, commissioners have said.
From how the court and jail software talk to each other to effective employee training.
Jamie Gillespie, Tyler Technologies Director of Client Success, on Monday told the Continuous Improvement committee that the programs can be integrated.
"For $2 million, you have signed a contract and purchased our software," she said. "You own our software, you guys have chosen not to implement it at this point."
The sheriff's office also could choose to modernize its jail computer program, Adult Information System, or AIS.
Brown supports that option.
About 37 percent of county inmates are waiting for felony court adjudication.
It costs $88 a day to keep someone in the Dallas jail.
Lew Sterrett Justice Center jail detainees cost about $18 million to house.
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