Dallas County has taken a significant leap in its long-discussed plan for building a new jail to replace the aging Lew Sterrett Justice Center.
With no discussion, the Commissioners Court this week approved spending $55 million for land acquisition, which would later be reimbursed to the county through issuance of bonds.
County Administrator Darryl Martin said in an interview he had no timeline or confirmed location for the purchase but a real estate consultant has been exploring sites.
The $55 million approved on Tuesday would allow the county to put an option on a property “and be ready to go” before borrowing funds to repay the general fund, Martin said.
Crime in The News
In early 2024, an advisory committee recommended constructing a new jail complex that could cost $5 billion by 2032.
A consultant told officials the jail’s towers and intake center are outdated and in such disrepair they cannot efficiently house the number of incarcerated people held there.
County officials have not confirmed what will be done to the current facility when a new jail is built, but the property along North Riverfront Boulevard is prime real estate near the Trinity River and downtown.
With 7,035 people inside on Wednesday, the facility was 94% full, according to jail population coordinator Adrianna Lawson.
While exploring options for a new jail, county officials have also been looking to reduce one of the most vulnerable subsets who get booked into the facility – those with serious mental illness and substance abuse issues.
Martin formed a task force last year to explore a model championed in Miami-Dade County, Florida, that connects people to treatment instead of incarceration for minor crimes.
In October, the Austin Street Center shelter launched an eight-bed pilot program, in which law officers can bring people suspected of criminal trespass for stabilization instead of being arrested.
A 16-bed deflection center at Homeward Bound in southern Dallas has operated since 2022, but county officials want at least four new, expanded centers across the county.
New jail plan
WHAT CHANGED: Dallas County commissioners approved $55 million to lock down land for a future county jail, with costs to be repaid later through bonds.WHY: Officials say the Lew Sterrett Justice Center is outdated and overcrowded, holding 7,035 people this week, about 94% full. A replacement could cost up to $5 billion by 2032.WHAT’S NEXT: No site, timeline or plan for the existing jail has been announced as the county also expands diversion programs for people with mental illness and substance abuse issues.