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HARRIS COUNTY, TX (FOX 26) - With an average of 9,000 detainees the Harris County Jail is like a small city with several moving parts costing millions of dollars.
Fox 26 News has obtained an evaluation report from the Harris County jail.
It's a study that examined taking control of the Harris County jail from the Sheriff.
It was a study requested by Harris County Commissioners to hopefully save money at an institution that has also had its share of negative publicity with the treatment of some detainees.
But the report shows creating a new department in the county under a jail administrator simply won't work.
The first problem: Texas law won't allow it, according to the Sheriff's office.
Deputy Thomas Gilliland says, "the constitution states the Sheriff shall maintain all prisoners in the county."
Gilliland says trying to maintain thousands of inmates by another department will likely be more expensive and run into major problems. He says especially when it comes to transporting detainees to the courts, medical facilities, and the prison system. The report also shows the current population of the jail will continue to grow with the county.
The report has been submitted to Harris County Commissioners.