Brazos County seeks to hire more jail staff as inmate numbers rise
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office says the inmate population at the detention center has topped 800 for the first time.
Chief Deputy Kevin Stuart says the average population is 650 but that number has trended upward in recent years. He says that number doesn’t necessarily mean more people are being arrested.
“There is typically an increase in inmate numbers when you approach summer, but we didn’t get a dip during the holidays like we normally do,” said Chief Deputy Stuart. “I know that there’s a lot of data that we have to pour through, but we’ve looked at how many arrests are being made and there’s not more arrests being made than there have been in the past. It’s just that fewer people are getting out. Once they’re put in, we’re seeing fewer people bonding out than you would normally see.”
Space at the jail isn’t the top concern. Currently, the inmate capacity is 1100.
What is top of mind is staffing, and that’s why the department is seeking to hire more officers. At the moment, officers are working overtime to ensure that the jail continues to meet state guidelines for how many officers have to be on duty.
Anyone interested in becoming a detention officer must be at least 18 years old with a GED or high school diploma. Training can be provided.
“This is great for somebody if they want to eventually work their way into a law enforcement career. This might be a good stepping stone,” said Stuart.
For more information, watch the video above.
To view Brazos County’s Current Employment Opportunities visit: https://ekzl.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2001/
