Maverick County Commissioners Court approves Detention Contract for Webb County Inmates
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
Maverick County Commissioners Court held their regular monthly meeting on Thursday,July 3, 2014, at the Commissioners Courtroom in Eagle Pass, Texas, addressing the negotiations with Webb County to house and detain 100 or more inmates from Webb County for a set fee amount.
Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber presented Commissioners Court a proposed inmate contract from Webb County for inmates to be housed at the Tom Bowles Detention Center in Eagle Pass.
Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo engaged Sheriff Schmerber and General Counsel Poncho Nevarez in an inquiry concerning the details regarding the number of inmates to be committed by Webb County. “Where is the list of the commitment from Webb County on the amount of inmates being sent?” said Judge Saucedo.
“ All it was is an agreement that there is going to be an exchange but it doesn’t say how many there is going to be,” answered General Counsel Nevarez.
“They stated that they will be sending 60 inmates first, then another 40,” said Sheriff Schmerber.
Nevarez stated that the proposed contract was not locking into a number of guaranteed inmates to be brought in from Webb County.
Judge Saucedo stated that it would be the best interest for Maverick County to lock into a secured inmate number from Webb County. “Isn’t that what we wanted? Weren’t we supposed to lock into a number,” asked Judge Saucedo.
Nevarez presented what the initial agreement consisted of and how that would fall under what Judge Saucedo and Commissioners Court felt needed to be set in place on the contract.
“ If I’m not mistaken in our discussions with Webb County , this rate that we are giving, which is not the highest rate in the world, was based on the fact that they were going to commit 100 inmates for a year, on a daily basis . That is why they got that price break,” said Judge Saucedo. Nevarez then stated that he was not aware of that part of the agreed commitment by Webb County.
After further discussion, Commissioners Court agreed with Judge Saucedo and General Counsel Nevarez that the price would in fact be tied to the number of prisoners being brought.
“We will stipulate the price is tied to the number. In other words, they are going to get this price but they will get another price if it drops below the agreed amount of prisoners to be brought,” said Nevarez.
“That price they are getting was negotiated by the Sheriff [Schmerber] was if they committed to at least 100 prisoners,” said Judge Saucedo.
Nevarez further stated that it was understood what needed to be done and that he would be amending the contract to state certain requisites to be agreed upon by both parties.
After a brief discussion, Commissioners Court approved the contract with Webb County to house their inmates at the Tom Bowles Detention Center unanimously, contingent on the agreement of the new amendment tying the price per inmate into the number of inmates housed by Maverick County being a minimum of 100 inmates daily for one year.
After the amended contract between Maverick County and Webb County is approved by Webb County Commissioners Court in the immediate future, Maverick County will begin receiving the first wave of the 100 or more inmates from Webb County. What was not mentioned during the public meeting was the dollar amount per inmate for each day that Maverick County negotiated with Webb County to house their inmates at the Tom Bowles Detention Center. Maverick County hopes that the detention services it offers Webb County as well as the federal government for U.S. Marshal’s pre-trial detainees will help the County create jobs in the community while balancing its financial budget.
Also approved at the meeting was the list of the election workers for the November 4, 2014 Texas general election. This election will have many important local elective positions as well as state and federal positions.
After a brief discussion of the list presented by Maverick County Election Office Administrator, Roy Schmerber, the agenda item and list was approved unanimously.
Another item heard was a presentational by the Maverick County Juvenile Probation Department Chief Juvenile Officer Bruce Balou concerning the MCJD Day Treatment Program.
The MCJD Day Treatment Program is a program, which assists community youth through their probationary period and allows the MCJD to ascertain the needs of the youth. This in turn allows the MCJD staff to develop of a recovery type of treatment to help these kids rehabilitate from criminal activities.
“In the past year there is a 47% decrease of kids being arrested and being brought to us. 47% decrease in juvenile crime. 42% decrease in the number of children and in the past three years we have had a 40% decrease in the number of juvenile crime in this community. Those are some real significant numbers and I am real proud of those. What I’m most proud of is the work that my staff does with these kids, through the Day Treatment Program. The difference in this last year is that this guy’s care what happens to those kids,” said Chief Juvenile Officer Balou.
“Our kids are not the most popular kids in our community. The have been kicked out of school, out of their house, they’ve been arrested and they need somebody to advocate for them. Mr. Freeman, Mr. Perez, and Ms. Garcia are working with these kids on a daily basis. These folks care about what happens to these kids. Kids are committing less crime in our community and these numbers are attributed to this folks right here,” said Balou.
Commissioners Court were advised by Balou that the Day treatment Program became operational on October 7, 2013. The Day Treatment Program consists of Staffing elements such as case managers, licensed professional counselors, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors and Juvenile Probation Officers. Services being provided are educational services, social skill activities, vocational programing, group counseling, substance abuse counseling, drug testing services, school program, and home visits, according to Balou
During the month of June 2014, there were 23 youths who went through the Day Treatment Program offered by the Juvenile Probation Department.
Another important agenda item approved was a review of the Emergency Declaration of Disaster in response to the June 19-20, 2014 Quemado, Normandy, and Elm Creek flood as a result of severe damages to local farms and ranches and property owners.
