Whitmire on state's findings on Harris County Jail: 'I do feel a responsibility to sound the alarm'

State Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston) has expressed concern regarding the Harris County Jail’s failure to comply with standards set forth by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS), according to a report from Houston FOX affiliate KRIV. 

The station reported that the agency on Wednesday, March 8 gave county leaders 30 days to address violations at the jail.

"I don't run Harris County, but I do feel a responsibility to sound the alarm that we cannot continue to function with an out of compliance jail,” Whitmire said, KRIV reported.

The senator, who’s one of the confirmed candidates in this year’s Houston mayoral race, added that the state inspectors discovered several deficiencies at the facility.

Citing interviews with a few inmates, the station reported that the jail has apparently lost control of the detained.

"Lack of supervision, no oversight of inmates for over an hour, no visible checks and balances of these individuals," Whitmire told KRIV.

The alleged slew of problems at the jail prompted the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) official tasked with overseeing it to resign earlier this year.

Houston Daily reported in January that Shannon Herklotz vacated the assistant chief of detentions position, informing Sheriff Ed Gonzalez that he felt he wasn’t part of the latter’s new direction. 

The individual in charge of the jail bears responsibility “for the care, custody and control of people living and working” at the facility, per the HCSO’s website.

According to Houston NBC affiliate KPRC, the law enforcement agency was slated to discuss the state’s report at the Harris County Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday. 

“We continue to work diligently to address any noted areas of deficiency … The recent comprehensive inspection also recognized some significant improvements,” HCSO officials said in a statement obtained by KPRC. 

Whitmire, who represents north Houston and other parts of Harris County, chairs the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice during the ongoing 88th session of the Texas Legislature.