MARLIN, Texas (KXXV) — The Falls County Jail is now back in state compliance after increasing staffing and making operational improvements.
- Falls County Jail was previously out of compliance with 14 state violations.
- New staffing and training improvements have brought the facility back into compliance.
- A new jail management system is helping streamline booking and daily operations.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“We looked at where we wanted to be, figured out how we were going to get there and then we executed,” said Falls County Sheriff Jason Campbell.
Last year, 25 News told you the Falls County Jail was out of state compliance — with 14 separate infractions.
Many of them were related to inmate mental health, mental disability accommodations, and a lack of suicide prevention training for staff.
But now — after nearly a year under new leadership — Sheriff Jason Campbell says those issues have been addressed, and the jail is back in compliance.
“Fortunately, we’ve been blessed to have the commissioners court blessing and they’ve given us personnel when we said we needed personnel. We are fully staffed in the jail and they’ve given us the additional positions we needed to bring the staffing to the level to keep the safety and security at the level it needed to be,” Campbell said.
Last year’s notice showed the ratio of jailers to inmates was too high with one jailer to 58 inmates - in some cases that’s 10 over the maximum.
Sheriff Campbell says that’s now changed — and the impact is felt both inside and outside the facility.
“It’s made a huge difference. Not only for the safety and security of the facility, but it’s enabled us to go out and do some of the community outreach that we like to do. We’ve got some of our trustees that have been able to help with community events, clean up and we’re able to use them in a fashion that gives back to the community,” Campbell said.
The county has also rolled out a new ‘jail management system’. Sheriff Campbell tells 25 News it has helped speed up the booking and classification process.
