Guards Staffing Empty Texas Prison As Officials Work On Abbott's Plan To Use It For Immigrants

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Guards Staffing Empty Texas Prison As Officials Work On Abbott’s Plan To Use It For Immigrants

KERA
Published July 8, 2021 at 1:58 PM CDT

With the Texas prison system dangerously understaffed, nearly 150 guards are now working in an empty prison that Gov. Greg Abbott plans to convert into a state-run jail for immigrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

More than 1,000 prisoners at the South Texas Briscoe Unit were transferred to other state lockups weeks ago, but it's still unclear when and how the emptied prison will be fashioned into a Texas-operated jail for migrants facing — but not convicted of — state criminal charges.

State agencies that enforce jail standards and regulate law enforcement training have scrambled to determine what changes are needed at the unit to house a non-prison population. And 147 Briscoe officers are training to be certified as jailers while the prison remains in “maintenance mode” awaiting further instruction, according to a spokesperson for Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Meanwhile, the Texas prison system remains desperately short of guards, including one notoriously violent maximum-security prison that has less than half as many as it should, according to an agency report.

{snip}

[Me.]

1. Since When Is Abbott In Charge Of Immigrants?

legal or otherwise

[CrispyQ]

2. Abbott acting like a little authoritarian.

Can't the DOJ do something about this? It seems like a clear overreach of authority.

[secondwind]

3. Seeking asylum is not illegal. 😡

[MyOwnPeace]

4. Well, I'm sure that, considering

the 'warm, Texas welcome' attitude the state government has, they have already set up the 'Rumsfeld Memorial Wing' so that they can treat their 'guests' the way TFG and his apostles would have wanted.....