No more waiting! Harris Co. Jail ordered to book inmates in faster

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Harris County Jail is in trouble for taking too long to get inmates into the jail. It’s a problem 13 Investigates exposed just 10 days ago.

ABC13 sources confirm the jail was issued a notice of non-compliance late Wednesday afternoon.

Rules governing Texas jails require new inmates to get to a housing unit within two days.

Our investigation found inmates waiting in these open holding areas for far longer. According to our 13 Investigates analysis, more than 550 of the 2,043 inmates brought to the jail in July had to wait longer than the mandated 48 hours.

Ted Oberg and our investigates team found it is a problem blamed partly on overcrowding and partly on slowdowns at the courthouse. The jail will be required to fix the issue and be re-inspected.

If they can’t speed up the process, it could require sending more inmates out of the county at a multi-million dollar cost to taxpayers.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards would not confirm the notices to 13 Investigates and had no comment. Reached after hours, a spokesman for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office tells jail leadership will respond Thursday morning.