Sheriff Adrian Garcia is announcing today that he’s eliminating daily visiting hours to the Harris County Jail. Visits will be allowed only four days per week instead of the current seven.
Doing so will allow him “to redeploy jail staff and save $1.3 million a year,” the sheriff’s office says.
State law requires jails to have visiting hours at least twice a week. The four days where Harris County will allow visits will include “extended hours on some days,” HCSO says.
Further details will come at an afternoon press conference after the jump.
Beginning Monday, April 25, 2011:
Saturday — 3:30-9 p.m.
Sunday — 3:30-9 p.m.
Monday — No visits
Tuesday — 4-9 p.m.
Wednesday — No visits
Thursday — 4-9 p.m.
Friday — No visits
HCSO’s Alan Bernstein notes that the schedule still offers more choice than many other jails in the state. He gave this chart of Texas jurisdictions:
Harris County: 4 visits per week
Dallas County: 2 visits per week
Bexar County: 2 visits per week
Travis County: 2 visits per week
Fort Bend County: Video visits only, 7 per week
Montgomery County; 2 visits per week
Galveston County: 2 visits per week
Brazoria County: 2 visits per week
Chambers County: 2 visits per week
Waller County: 2 visits per week
Liberty County: 2 visits per week
This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2011.