Sheriff's office reports ongoing Liberty County jail repairs; capacity to remain constrained

The Liberty County Commissioners Court heard a progress report on May 26 about ongoing repairs to the county jail and the facility's capacity constraints.

Chief Wood, speaking for the sheriff's office, told the court that the facility remains under a 15-minute fire watch while door deliveries and remaining repairs are completed and that camera and HVAC upgrades are in progress. He said portions of East Hall are out of use during phase work and that even after construction is complete the county will still be housing some inmates outside the county because the population exceeds on-site capacity.

County officials and staff confirmed that some work is being billed to contractors and that other items remain under review; the court voted to accept the report. The presentation included a staffing- and inspections-related update: the county indicated it is in communication with the commission on jail standards and that the most recent agreement was under review by the standards body.

The court took no additional action beyond accepting the report; commissioners asked staff to continue overseeing repairs and to return any new materials or timelines as they become available.

The court approved the acceptance of the sheriff's report by voice vote and moved on to other agenda items.