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Dallas County hopes to build new $5 billion jail
The new jail plans came up during a Dallas City Council discussion about the city's contract to pay nearly $7.9 million for housing Dallas inmates. Commissioner Price suggested the city should build its own jail.
DALLAS - Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price told city council members this week that the county wants to build a new jail and courthouse.
The revelation raises a lot of questions. It’s unclear where it will be or how it will be paid for.
The estimated cost of a new jail and courthouse is $5 billion.
The Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Downtown Dallas is nearly 50 years old.
"We cannot build a new jail without building a new courthouse," Price said. "That is a real undertaking given public transportation, given the challenges."
Commissioner Price told the council it is a challenge to keep the aging facility in compliance with state standards. But the new facility will not replace the old one at the same location.
"Wherever we find the appropriate land to build a courthouse and a jail, that is where we are looking," he said.
Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn said the city manager needs to make sure Dallas is included in discussions about the logistics.
The discussion came up because council members had questions about the city's contract to pay nearly $7.9 million for housing Dallas inmates at $85 each per day.
Dallas County inmate caught using jail video call system to make child porn
A man who was in the Dallas County jail for the possession of child pornography was sentenced to more than 28 years in federal prison after being caught producing more child porn with a jail video call kiosk.
That's less than last year because city staff says the number of Dallas inmates in custody has gone down.
But Price dropped another bombshell proposal in a completely different direction.
"I think you ought to build your own," he told the council," The rest of Dallas, 955 square miles, 31 cities, most of them have a jail or a collaboration for jails"
Price reminded the council the old lockup at the George Allen Courthouse has 800 beds.
"We only need about $30 million to bring it back online," he said. "It's time for the city to make a real decision."
Dallas County DA heads new program to get help for low-level offenders and out of jail
The goal is to keep individuals charged with certain low-level, non-violent misdemeanor offenses from entering the criminal justice system. The program seeks to treat underlying mental illness and substance abuse issues to try and keep individuals from becoming repeat offenders.
Commissioner Price said there is a blue-ribbon task force set up to pursue building a new jail and courthouse. It is unclear how the county would fund it.