County expects to use jail addition by April

After nearly one year of construction, the expansion of the Coryell County Jail is scheduled to be complete and in use by early April.

Commissioner Scott Weddle said in an email that the Texas Commission on Jail Standards is scheduled to inspect the expansion on March 28. Inmates who are currently housed outside of the county can move into the new jail following approval from the state commission.

Weddle said the county is aiming to make the move by April 1.

“Once we pass the inspection, we should be able to start moving inmates into the expansion and start saving the out of county inmate fees paid to other counties,” Weddle said.

The county is currently finalizing minor details on the expansion ahead of the inspection, Commissioner Ryan Basham said. Construction crews are also set to complete the new parking area in front of the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office, which was built to meet Texas Accessibility Standards.

“There are just a few minor details that need to be addressed,” Basham said.

The county approved the jail expansion in November 2022 to bring the building up to compliance with state standards, which included issues with overcrowding.  The new addition adds 47 beds to the facility.

The expansion replaces a historic building that served as the county jail since the 1930s.

The jail expansion project was originally scheduled to be completed in December, according to a previous article by The Messenger. Construction first began in May 2023.