County Leaders Think They May Win Grant for New Jail
Fayette County leaders have known for years that one day, they’ll need to build a new County Jail.
The current jail opened in 1985 as a 45-bed facility. These days, the jail sometimes gets so crowded that the Sheriff’s Office has to send offenders to jails in other counties at taxpayer expense. In addition, the current jail only has four beds dedicated to female inmates, which was adequate in the 1980s but not today. Upgrading the jail or building a new one will cost tens of millions of dollars.
At the Commissioners Court meeting last Thursday, Sheriff Keith Korenek announced that the County may have found a way to pay for a new jail without raising property taxes - all thanks to an obscure new grant program buried in President Donald Trump’s signature piece of legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The program is called the “BIDEN” Grant, which stands for Bridging Immigration-Related Deficits Experienced Nationwide. Eligibility requirements include partnering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the 287(g) program and participating in a state, regional or federal task force such as Operation Lone Star. Fayette County Emergency Management Coordinator Angela Hahn said Fayette County meets those requirements.
“It can cover personnel, equipment, technology, and if you are awarded funding, it will help you build a jail,” Hahn said.
Hahn said the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office ranks among the top three participants with ICE through the 287(g) program in the entire nation. Accordingly, she said Fayette County has a very good chance of being awarded a grant through the BIDEN program. The grant does not require matching funds.
Hahn said the County received quotes from two professionals in the jail construction business who estimated construction costs at $55 million for a 96-bed facility. After the meeting, Chief Deputy Randy Noviskie of the Sheriff’s Office said the jail has passed state inspections. However, he said the Texas Commission on Jail Standards recommended that Fayette County will need a 96-bed facility by 2030.
The grant will not cover the cost of land acquisition. Sheriff Korenek told the Record that he did not believe it would be feasible to build a new jail on the same site that currently houses the jail and Sheriff’s Office. He told the Commissioners Court that the Sheriff’s Office could begin saving the revenue it receives through the 287(g) program for a land purchase.
“The fact that there’s a possibility of us getting this large amount of money, and as the Sheriff mentioned, maybe the 287(g) money could be used to purchase the land – man, this would be a dream come true,” said County Judge Dan Mueller.
The Commissioners Court voted unanimously to authorize the Sheriff’s Office and Hahn to pursue the BIDEN grant to pay for a new jail.
In an interview after the meeting, Sheriff Korenek said he’s been trying to solve the jail problem for years.
“I’ve been stalling this more than anybody, because I didn’t want to throw good money after bad,” Korenek said. “You throw $2 million or $10 million where we’re at, and it’s still not suitable. I don’t want to have to pay all that tax. So we’re going to give it our best shot.”