The Hays County Jail’s inmate population and number of outsourced inmates rose again the week of March 31-April 6, according to the report read in Hays County Commissioners Court on Tuesday.
The report, read by Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra, stated that the daily average population of the jail was 508, with a peak of 517 on March 31. The average number of outsourced male inmates was 181, and the outsourced number of female inmates was three. The 184 outsourced inmates were housed in facilities in Bell, Burnet, Caldwell, McLennan, Limestone and Walker counties at a cost of $62,717.
In the previous week, the jail’s daily average population was 506, with 164 outsourced inmates sent to four counties at a cost of $55,810.
This week’s jail report also included monthly totals of the numbers of hours jail trustees worked and the amount of money saved by using trustee labor. In March, trustees worked 4,953 hours at a rate of $12 an hour for a savings of $59,000. The trustees worked in the jail’s kitchen and laundry, performed cleaning duties in the facility and carried out special assignments.
“There are legal guidelines on the things they can do,” Becerra said, “but I’m assured through the sheriff’s office that we’re doing everything we can with what we have.”
