Published: July 02, 2008 04:56 pm      

Jail to be privatized

Contract to begin Sept. 1

Johnson County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to turn operations of the Johnson County Corrections Center over to Community Education Centers beginning Sept. 1.

The New Jersey company will oversee management of about 125 jail employees within the sheriff’s office. Other sheriff’s employees, such as deputies and detectives, will remain county employees.

Affected jail personnel will retain their salaries and positions, said Sheriff Bob Alford.

“If I didn’t feel this was what is best for the employees, the county and the tax savings, I wouldn’t be here,” Alford said.

Commissioners also approved Alford’s request to retain 28 jail employees as county employees. Several will retain their duties, but 11 — who are transport officers — will be re-assigned. Re-assignments will create one additional security officer for the Guinn Justice Center, two additional commercial-vehicle-enforcement officers, three additional patrol officers, four additional warrant service and transport officers and one additional child- crimes investigator.

Those officers are needed, Alford said, because the Guinn is often short staffed. Additional CVE officers are necessary given the increase in large-truck traffic over recent years and a shortage of Texas Department of Public Safety officers who also handle those duties, Alford said.

Commissioner Don Beeson stressed the need for a second child-crimes investigator. Beeson said Johnson County ranks fifth out of 254 counties and said one person simply cannot handle the case load.

Tammy King, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center, said she was elated to hear the news.

“It’s an overwhelming case load, and as child abuse cases go up, we see more serious cases,” King said. “Having a second person should help tremendously.”

Commissioners discussed the matter for about three hours before voting. County Judge Roger Harmon initially seemed opposed to the proposal but eventually voted in favor of it.

CEC’s contract originally called for the county to pay $40.90 per prisoner per day for three years. At Harmon’s request, Peter Argeropulos, CEC senior vice president, negotiated that amount down to $40.25. That, coupled with CEC’s assuming the jail’s utility bills, estimated at about $382,000 annually, convinced Harmon the move would make sound financial sense.

Savings to the county depend on jail population, which stood at 486 Tuesday. Increased numbers would decrease county savings, however.

“As long as the jail’s numbers just don’t escalate too rapidly, I think today’s decision is OK,” Harmon said. “There’s so many variables we have no control over, though.”

Other savings Johnson County will realize, such as decreased insurance, medical and personnel costs, should offset increases and add to the county’s savings, Commissioner John Matthews argued.