San Jacinto County Jail remains closed from Hurricane Beryl damage, some say for political reasons

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The San Jacinto County Jail has remained closed and empty for more than five months since Hurricane Beryl damaged it.

The jail sustained roof damage, and water filled the halls. On July 15, 2024, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards issued a letter to County Judge Fritz Faulkner and Sheriff Greg Capers saying that until the jail was repaired, they were not allowed to house inmates in the facility.

Captain James Brooks, who runs the jail, said they had between 125 and 130 inmates at the time of the hurricane. He said some were their inmates, but others were being housed for a fee in other counties.

Now, the county is paying at least $50,000 a month to keep its 48 inmates elsewhere. Plus, it lost the income from housing out-of-county inmates, which Brooks said just about covers the cost of running the jail.

San Jacinto County inmates are housed in Polk County, Houston County, Jasper County, and Beauregard Parish in Louisiana.

Brooks said they have to pick up the inmates frequently for court dates, medical issues, and other reasons.

"It's two, three, four times a week," Brooks explained. "It really just depends."

According to the sheriff's office, the roof repairs were completed on Nov.19, and other smaller repairs were also completed.

Before the jail can be re-inspected, Brooks said they need to change the locks inside the facility. The county commissioners took on that project in September.

After months of waiting, the sheriff's office members said the county's maintenance department showed up ahead of ABC13's planned visit to change the locks.

Multiple people familiar with the situation believe the county leaders are intentionally dragging their feet on completing the jail.

The current sheriff, Capers, lost his re-election bid in a contentious race to the San Jacinto County Pct. 3 Constable Sam Houston. Some believe county leaders want to give the "win" to Houston when he takes office because there's friction between Capers and county leaders.

ABC13 spoke with Faulkner, who said he had heard rumors that people believed it was being stalled for political reasons but said he could not imagine why anyone would want to slow the project down when the county was hemorrhaging money to house inmates elsewhere.

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