Department: Purchasing
Department Head/Elected Official: DeWight Dopslauf
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Contract - Renewal
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): CoreCivic, Inc.
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: Exempt - Emergency
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for approval of a Public Health or Safety Exemption renewal option with CoreCivic, Inc. for outsourcing of Harris County Jail inmates to the Tallahatchie Correctional Facility for the period of December 1, 2024 - November 30, 2025, at a cost of $11,358,750, Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: Exempt - Emergency.
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Background and Discussion:
On November 2, 2023, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) reduced the number of variance beds
available for utilization at Harris County jail facilities. This action was taken as a result of the Harris County
Sheriff's Office's (HCSO) ongoing staffing challenges and subsequent inability to maintain the minimum officer-
to-inmate ratio at all times.
As a result, the HCSO will lose the use of 580 variance beds, which were previously approved upon the
contingency of meeting all minimum jail standards. The variance beds will be reduced in increments of 144, on
a monthly basis, beginning December 1, 2023.
This contract for additional inmate outsourcing will therefore be needed to ensure Harris County is able to
house all inmates while meeting minimum jail standards for staffing officer-to-inmate ratios. In addition, since
the Harris County Jail remains beyond its capacity of housing inmates internally, outsourcing allows the HCSO
to ensure we maintain a secure workspace for employees and a safe living environment for inmates.
The Tallahatchie Correctional Facility located in Tutwiler, Mississippi is the only one that currently has the staff
and beds to accom...
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