NEW BOSTON, Texas - Bowie County officials are looking at spending nearly $7.3 million to finance about a 230-member jail staff for two separate lock-ups for eight months this year.
Bowie County finance records show that between Feb. 13 and Sept. 30 of this year, the county intends to spend a total of $7,298,777.43 for jailer staff that will operate the county's 748-bed Correctional Center as well as the Bi-State Justice Building jail, which has about 164 beds.
For both lock-ups, the jail staff will include two top level full-time administrators, three mid-level supervisors, about 24 lower level supervisors and a full-time correctional officer staff of 184 jailers.
Of the 184 jailers, 10 are already designated as long-term employees, while the other 174 are either new or still-to-be hired employees. Some of the unfilled slots will go to correctional officers already working at these two jails for LaSalle Corrections.
Besides the correctional officer staff, there will also be about an eight-member support staff, which will include a maintenance supervisor, four maintenance technicians, an office administrator and two clerks.
Of all the nearly 230 staff members, the 174 new jailers account for more the 70% of the entire jail operations personnel. Starting next fiscal year, which begins in October, their annual salaries will be $29,120 each.
Last month, LaSalle Corrections, a private company that's managed Bowie County's Correctional Center for several years, notified the county of its intent to withdraw once its current contract expires Feb. 12. The decision will leave both the center and Bi-State jail to once again be operated by the county's Sheriff's Office, which previously occurred roughly between 1993 and late 2001.
After spending about 90 minutes in closed executive session, Bowie County Commissioners agreed late last month both locations will collectively need the 184 jailer positions, in addition to about 12 part-time correctional officer positions, along with a part-time correctional officer recruiter, according to county records released late last week.
Although a number of LaSalle Corrections former employees are looking at being hired by the county, county officials are still looking for new applicants to fill any staffing voids should the number of former LaSalle employees fall short.
Bowie County Auditor Jennifer Beckett previously said that once the positions get filled - which needs to be accomplished by Feb. 13 - both lock-ups will be operated on a budget aimed only at lasting from Feb. 13 to Sept 30.