Judge Cortez gives update on leasing jail space in Willacy County

EDINBURG, TEXAS – Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez has given an update on the county’s plans to lease jail space in Willacy County.

Cortez gave the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service a video interview on a wide range of subjects. In addition to the jail, Cortez spoke about water challenges, the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force, marketing the region, the new Hidalgo County Courthouse, and animal control.

Regarding the jail, Cortez said: “Some people can second guess any decisions that we make. We were very fortunate that we needed additional capacity in our jail, and we were fortunate that the Willacy County jail was available. We made some tentative assessments, a bunch of assessments as to what a new jail would cost us. And we were talking about almost $260,000 per bed. 

“That’s a huge amount of money to build a 500- or 800-bed jail. But with the Willacy County facility, we didn’t buy it, we leased it. But, if you do the numbers, leasing it at the price that we would lease it, it was a lot better than for us to go to a new jail. Unfortunately, we had to remodel it. And put it into the condition where we could use it. We’re very close to doing that. I hope that within the next two or three months we’ll be able to put prisoners in there, in Raymondville.”

Here is the interview with Judge Cortez:

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