Burnet County Jail, Texas
Texas prison boom going bust: by Mitch
Mitchell, September 3, 2011, Star-Telegram. Expose on troubles
facing many communities that bought into the private prison bonding
scam.
October 20, 2009 KXAN
New razor wire that measures more than 4 feet tall and nearly 3 feet
wide is coiled around the metal roof and down the sides of the new
Burnet County Jail. The $90,000 security measure was recently added to
the 7-month-old facility to stop another inmate from sneaking out.
Authorities are still searching for a man who made his getaway during
recreation time back in August. On a surprise visit last Thursday, jail
inspectors found concerns inside after questioning two female inmates.
One was pregnant and said she was not given proper medication. Another
mental health patient said she was not given her medication either, so
inspectors checked her medical chart. "There were certain medications
that needed to be prescribed for her that had not been given to her, and
that's obviously not in compliance with jail standards," said Adan
Munoz, executive director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards .
"They get excellent care here," said Tammy Manning, the Burnet County
Jail medical supervisor. Manning was out of town during the inspection
but normally sees the inmate who she said had been refusing to show up
to appointments after they were scheduled. The situation had not been
documented on her medical chart that state inspectors reviewed. "We do
have room for improvement in our documentation," said Manning. "And our
actional plan we put into place Friday was to improve our documentation
so this will not happen again." One of the female inmates also said they
were not getting recreation time everyday. "We went on to check the
recreation log to see if their concerns were valid," said Munoz. "We
couldn't even find a recreation log." Burnet County Jail Warden Bruce
Armstrong admits there was a breakdown there, too. "We run rec
everyday," said Armstrong. "And the officer calls in the count to the
central control officer whose suppose to be logging the count down on
how many offenders went to rec, and they were neglecting to document the
count." Armstrong said it has been taken care of, but the state said
there is one more requirement the county has yet to comply with. The
state does not have the jail's operational plan, which covers everything
from what to do in case of a fire to how to administer health care. "The
fact that it's been open since April and still not within our agency
certainly gives us great concern," said Munoz. The county told the state
they were working on it. Munoz sent written notification of the
deficiencies to the county and Southwest Corrections, the company who
manages the jail. They have 30 days to comply.September 3, 2009 Burnet Bulletin
Only four months after opening its doors to the public with tours,
speeches and a ribbon cutting, the Burnet County Jail has been cited by
the Texas Commission on Jail Standards for a different kind of open
house: Improper supervision of inmates after a prisoner escaped Sunday
night and fled past nearby residential neighborhoods and to freedom. The
controversial privately run jail – a facility that many nearby residents
unsuccessfully fought during its development – now is officially deemed
noncompliant with Texas jail standards, confirmed Adan Munoz, a former
sheriff who serves as executive director of the Texas Commission on Jail
Standards. An inspector from the commission visited the jail and found
inadequate its procedures for checking prisoners, Munoz said. Meanwhile,
the jailer responsible for supervising prisoners into and out of a
recreation yard has resigned, and two other correctional officers at the
jail face disciplinary action that could mean suspension or termination
as a result of the escape of Nuana Antonio Fuentes-Sanchez, confirmed
Billy McConnell, co-owner of the private jail management firm.
Fuentes-Sanchez, 23, a day laborer and native of El Salvador, was
arrested in connection with a violent robbery of a Burnet County couple
in April. Being noncompliant doesn't mean the jail is in danger of being
shut down. It means Southwestern Correctional LLC, the private company
hired by the county to manage the jail, has 30 days to report how it
will satisfactorily resolve the issues, Munoz said. Currently, 37 of the
247 county jails regulated by the TCJS are noncompliant with the
standards, which could be for a range of minor to major issues, such as
inoperable toilet facilities, malfunctioning intercom systems or
inadequate staffing, Munoz said. The Burnet County Jail’s issues fall
under the heading of “supervision of inmates,” a key section of the 600
standards regulated by the commission. Munoz said “The best way to
describe it is a lack of diligence, a lack of professionalism,” Munoz
said.
November 19, 2007
This Monday, concerned Burnet County residents will hold a public meeting with
Burnet County Commissioners to discuss their opposition to a proposed 500-bed
private detention center. The meeting will take place Monday, November 19th, at
Old Courthouse on the square in Burnet at 7:00pm. Burnet County residents are
concerned that the proposed jail will be operated by a Louisiana-based
for-profit private prison corporation, that out-of-county prisoners will shipped
to the prison, and that Burnet County has taken steps to float revenue bonds to
pay for the prison, which could endanger the county's future bond rating,
without a public vote. Private prison corporations have a track record that
include human rights abuses, lawsuits, higher rates of violence, and financial
mismanagement. Research shows that prison construction has no positive economic
impact on communities. Counties that finance private prison construction have
been held liable for abuses that take place in the prisons.
Jackson Parish Correctional Center,
Jackson Parish, Louisiana
La. firm says prison escapes led to changes:
August 10, 2011, Bob Ortega, The Arizona Republic. Expose on
LaSalle
LaSalle Southwest Correctional
Texas prison boom going bust: by Mitch
Mitchell, September 3, 2011, Star-Telegram. Expose on troubles
facing many communities that bought into the private prison bonding
scam.
La. firm
says prison escapes led to changes: August 10, 2011, Bob
Ortega, The Arizona Republic. Expose on LaSalle
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