The Harris County Jail announced that it is in the process of canceling a $2 million contract to outsource inmates to Mississippi. The cancellation, expected to be completed by the end of the month, will bring roughly 300 inmates back to Texas.
The outsourcing program has long been a consequence of the Harris County Jail’s ongoing compliance problems—specifically overcrowding and understaffing. In fiscal year 2025 alone, Harris County spent around $53 million on various contracts to house inmates in Mississippi and Louisiana.
In February, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards voted to urge Attorney General Ken Paxton to enforce state standards after the jail had remained out of compliance since September 2022. By July, the jail had received its third out-of-compliance notice of the year.
Last month, while the commission acknowledged that the jail had improved in its oversight of inmates, it also filed new complaints concerning the facility’s fire alarm system—meaning the jail is still officially out of compliance, with four of its five fire control panels reportedly malfunctioning. In response, Harris County authorized a study to evaluate the jail’s aging infrastructure and capacity issues.
During yesterday’s meeting, Chief Deputy Thomas Diaz said that while there isn’t yet a set timeline for ending the Louisiana outsourcing contract, the department has made significant strides. Not only is the Mississippi contract now being terminated, but the number of Harris County inmates housed in Louisiana has dropped from 1,000 to about 800. Diaz also noted that the average time inmates spend in jail has been reduced from a high of 200 days to about 166 days.
These improvements are largely due to the sheriff’s office hiring more detention officers to ease the staffing shortage. Around 150 new officers have completed training this year, with another 47 expected to finish today and 50 more scheduled to be hired next week.
While state commissioners voted to amend the remedial order—an oversight measure imposed by the state to monitor progress and ensure compliance—and keep it in place for the Harris County Jail, the commission has commended the county for the progress made so far.
