Harris County Jail Ticking Time Bomb, 30 Days to Come Into Compliance with State Minimum Standards


On March 8, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards told Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez they have 30 days to take appropriate corrective action.

"I'm alarmed," said State Senator John Whitmire. "I don't run Harris County, but I do feel a responsibility to sound the alarm that we cannot continue to function with an out of compliance jail."

In an only on Fox report last month, two former Harris County Jail employees who quit told us inmates were the ones running the show.

Those employees, who asked to be anonymous said, "Drugs are rampant. You'd see gang intimations," and, "there's an expectation you will be welcomed through violence."

In a February 16 report, Harris County Jail inmate Kyle French told us he witnessed detention officers doing drugs in the 701 Clinic.

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