Inmates from Texas's Orange County jail, who have been scattered in three locations around the state since Hurricane Rita blew through, will return now that the hurricane-damaged jail has passed inspection.
The inmates - about 100 in a Dallas jail, about 30 in Angelina County and about 30 in Harris County - will return to the Orange jail this weekend, Sheriff Mike White said in a telephone interview last week, which was when he was notified it had passed.
And since the jail is reopening, other residents who run afoul of the law have a greater chance of landing in a jail cell starting today. Orange County law officers had eased up on arrests since the hurricane left them low on jail cells, generally arresting only violent criminals and repeat offenders. There was no place to put drunk drivers, drug users, shoplifters and other non-violent criminals. These people were stopped so officers could fill out paperwork, but then the offenders were let go.
Since the jail has been closed, crime has gone up, Orange Police Chief Sam Kittrell said.
He said the uninhabitable jail and low arrest rate are partly to blame, but so are damaged buildings left defenseless against criminals. He also said the increased number of people in the city - many working to fix hurricane damage - might also lead to a higher crime rate. Housing the inmates in far-flung jails has cost more than $500,000, which must be paid up-front by the county, White said. The federal government will reimburse the county for most of the cost, and possibly the entire amount, White said.
"We'll push real hard to get 100 percent (reimbursement)," Orange County Emergency Management Coordinator Chuck Frazier said. "It's totally legit."
Last month, the jail failed a Texas Commission on Jail Standards inspection for several reasons, including broken night lights, shower heads and a flawed intercom system.
At that time, the jail also failed a fire inspection because the smoke and fume system did not function properly, Orange Fire Marshal Joe Mires said. Last week, that had been taken care of and the jail passed its fire inspection.
Mires said the sheriff's office obviously worked hard to get the jail open quickly - 82 days after the storm. The jail being closed likely has been most difficult on the inmates' families, Mires said. Standard visitation hours resume this week, White said.