POLK COUNTY, Texas – Polk County’s jail is the latest facility in Southeast Texas to be swept up in a growing regional crisis: a critical shortage of jail staff that is forcing counties to send inmates hundreds of miles away, even across state lines.
Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons confirmed this week that his department has begun transferring inmates to other facilities, including some in Louisiana, due to an ongoing inability to maintain sufficient staffing levels at the county jail.
“You look at Harris County. You look at pretty much every one of the counties that touch me – they’re housing inmates either at that facility or other facilities,” said Lyons. “We’re all facing the same issue: too few people willing to work in jails.”
Jail Declared Out of Compliance
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards recently found the Polk County Jail out of compliance with state regulations. Among the concerns cited were insufficient staffing to meet the minimum required ratio of one jailer for every 48 inmates, and a failure to maintain timely observations of inmates with mental health conditions. These shortfalls can place both inmates and jail staff at risk, especially when dealing with vulnerable populations.
Sheriff Lyons acknowledged the severity of the issue, saying, “We simply do not have the manpower to operate at full capacity and meet state mandates at the same time.”
A Regional Problem
Polk County is not alone. Harris County, the largest in the region, has been shipping hundreds of inmates to facilities in Louisiana for over a year, citing overcrowding and personnel shortages. Several surrounding counties are reportedly following suit, part of a growing trend across Texas.
According to state data, over 4,300 inmates were being housed outside their counties of arrest as of June 2024 – more than double the number from five years earlier. Meanwhile, 41% of Texas counties were outsourcing inmates in 2024, up from 31% in 2010.
Federal Funds and Emergency Measures
To mitigate the crisis, Polk County officials have begun compensating sheriff’s deputies with overtime pay to help fill critical shifts in the jail. The county has also secured federal funding to assist with the added personnel costs.
Despite these efforts, the jail remains understaffed, prompting the sheriff to seek contracts with out-of-state facilities to house inmates.
“There’s just no way to sustain the jail’s operations under current staffing conditions without some help,” Lyons said. “We’re thankful for the federal support, but long-term, we need people to step into these jobs.”
Broader Causes and Consequences
Experts cite several factors contributing to the crisis, including high turnover, stagnant wages for corrections officers, burnout, and increased jail populations due to changes in pretrial detention laws. Compounding the problem is the growing number of inmates with mental health issues, which adds complexity to jail operations and requires specialized care that many facilities are not equipped to provide.
“This is more than a jail problem,” one county official said. “This is a public safety and public health issue. Our jails are becoming the frontlines of our mental health system, and they’re not built for it.”
As inmate transfers continue and staffing woes remain unresolved, counties like Polk are left in a precarious position—balancing legal obligations, fiscal pressures, and the safety of both staff and those in custody.
Sheriff Lyons ended his remarks with a call to action: “We need solutions, not just from local leaders, but from the state and the community. This isn’t going away unless we invest in the people who are willing to do this difficult work.”
