Harris County Jail head announces resignation: 'I do not feel as (if) I have a place in' [HCSO's] new direction'

The Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) official tasked with overseeing the Harris County Jail has announced his resignation, per reports from Houston-based media outlets. 

Friday, Jan. 20 will be Harris County Jail Assistant Chief of Detentions Shannon Herklotz’s last day, Houston FOX affiliate KRIV reported. 

Per the HCSO website, Herklotz bears responsibility “for the care, custody and control of people living and working” in the jail, which is the largest in the state.

KRIV reported that while the HCSO didn’t elaborate on Herklotz’s decision to resign, the jail has encountered several issues such as overcrowding, inmate deaths and staffing problems. 

Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported that the Texas Commission on Jail Standards cited the jail twice for noncompliance during his watch. 

Per KTRK, Herklotz notified Sheriff Ed Gonzalez in writing of his intention to step down.

In the correspondence obtained by KTRK, Herklotz said his time as head of the jail is one of “mixed emotions,” praising many of his colleagues for going “above and beyond” daily to ensure the protection of everyone. 

He, however, wrote that not everything he worked for yielded the results he expected. 

“I have no regrets, and there is very little I would change,” Herklotz told Gonzalez. “However, I feel that you and Chief (Deputy Mike) Lee want to move in a new direction, and I do not feel as (if) I have a place in that vision."

According to KTRK, the jail held over 10,000 inmates, with nearly 900 of them transported to other correctional facilities in West Texas and Louisiana to help ease overcrowding. 

The station reported that the facility still hasn’t abided by the state’s standards on booking times. 

KRIV reported that three other top-ranking jail officers have left or have been reassigned.