tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post4893220368213030168..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Webb County Sheriff's speculative jail scheme ignores risksGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-57775518571598260422010-03-26T09:25:50.654-05:002010-03-26T09:25:50.654-05:00There are actually four private facilities in the ...There are actually four private facilities in the Laredo area - the US Marshals contract with the Encinal facility and GEO Group's 1,500 bed "superjail" out near Rio Bravo. ICE has contracts with the two CCA facilities in town.<br /><br />The article goes back to the controversy about the construction of the GEO facility. Some folks in the Webb County gov't thought the county should be getting in on that profit, rather than letting a company like GEO have it. <br /><br />Of course, it doesn't always work out that way, and the county can be left holding a big bill for an empty jail.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00438609455899960284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-56279453008010942462010-03-25T14:44:16.383-05:002010-03-25T14:44:16.383-05:00Wonder what the Webb County bail bond climate is l...Wonder what the Webb County bail bond climate is like? Need to ask my attorney buddies next time I go down there. Do you think the pre-trial detention policies are driven by the judges/DA or by the bail bondsman?el_longhornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14726492234859814230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-17049829534978925002010-03-25T06:59:03.396-05:002010-03-25T06:59:03.396-05:00@ el longhorn, fwiw, according to the Commission o...@ el longhorn, fwiw, according to the Commission on Jail Standards, <a href="http://www.tcjs.state.tx.us/docs/abrerpt.pdf" rel="nofollow">as of March 1</a>, 268 of Webb County's 404 local inmates were awaiting trial - essentially 2/3 of county inmates. So there's definitely some room there to look at diversion options, even before turning to private facilities.<br /><br />Even if the jail needs improving, and it may, taxpayers are better off just paying to improve it. Don't issue bonds to build a new, separate facility with three times as many beds as you need with hopes of competing with the Geo Group for federal contracts.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-14247691555116082052010-03-24T21:58:41.500-05:002010-03-24T21:58:41.500-05:00PS El Manana often has better coverage of Laredo t...PS El Manana often has better coverage of Laredo than the Laredo Morning Times. Since they can't cover the drug war going on in their own city of N. Laredo, they seemed to have turned to covering Laredo, Texas. What the hell - that's where all their readers moved anyway!el_longhornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14726492234859814230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-58475285621661973982010-03-24T21:56:46.163-05:002010-03-24T21:56:46.163-05:00In Webb County's defense, the current jail was...In Webb County's defense, the current jail was built in the early 1980's when the county population was about 100,000. Today the population is closer to 250,000. In other words, there may be legitimate local needs for a new, larger, more modern facility. I don't know that there is or that the overcrowded jail isn't caused by not bonding people out. <br /><br />However, there are private facilities in the area - one in <br />Encinal and one in Rio Bravo, two small towns close to Laredo.el_longhornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14726492234859814230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-77185441277087321272010-03-24T16:02:13.816-05:002010-03-24T16:02:13.816-05:00fyi, the Laredo Sun is the English version of the ...fyi, the Laredo Sun is the English version of the Spanish language newspaper El Manana.DGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04107010714337224660noreply@blogger.com