Cortez: Hidalgo County has saved a lot of money by leasing beds in the Willacy County jail

MCALLEN, Texas – Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez has given an update on jail overcrowding. 

In a speech at a McAllen Citizens League luncheon, Cortez said the 500 beds the county leases from Willacy County are still not enough. In his remarks, Cortez defended a Hidalgo County Commissioners Court decision to lease beds from Willacy County, rather than build a new jail.

“The next thing I want to share with you is (the subject of) jail overcrowding. Some people clap. Some people say, there are stupid people in the county (leadership) because they went and leased a jail from Willacy County.”

Cortez responded to such criticism.

“We are mandated by the State of Texas to provide detention for prisoners. We are mandated. We don’t have a choice. And if we don’t provide that, then they have the right to come here, do whatever they want to do, and send you a bill.”

Cortez asked the audience if they knew that. 

“So, when we were looking into our jail overcrowding, we had over 500 prisoners that we had spread out all over South Texas because we didn’t have room in our jail. But the Lord was good to us that the Willacy County jail was available. 

“The Willacy County jail, we leased it. Why did we lease it? It (the Hidalgo County facility) is already an old jail. We’re going to destroy the courthouse that was 60 years old. If we’re going to use it for 30 years, what do you think the value of that jail is going to be 30, 40 years from now? We would have to tear it down and pay the fair value.

“So, I thought it was pretty good for us to lease it and not buy it. And how we came up with a price is because we knew what new construction was going to be. All of you know present value. All of you are businesspeople. You know present value. 

“So, if you take a stream of payments over time, and you discount them in certain ways today, we pay $38 million for that courthouse. You divide 500 beds into that $38 million, and it’s a heck lot less than going to build a new one.

“But you don’t have to thank me for that. It’s okay.

“But I want you to know the difference, because if you’re going to criticize us, criticize us accurately with accurate facts. The problem is the 500 beds that we have in Willacy County are still not enough. And we’re in trouble, and we’re going to have to work on trying to solve that.”

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