Tom AbrahamsA look into the Harris County Jail's overcrowding problem gave a clearer picture of a much bigger situation: how long inmates are waiting for trial.A Harris County capital murder suspect has been in jail for nearly 18 years without a trial. He's among a growing number of inmates spending an extended amount of time in the Harris County jail because of mental incompetency.
The jail's population has increased by 13% since 2020. Nearly six in 10 are those facing violent and serious charges. "It's long overdue," Judge Lina Hidalgo said. "It's a terrible thing to find. But the silver lining is that we have identified this, and this is the kind of thing I wanted to come to light when I asked the county administrator to really dig into the jail. Every time somebody is sent to the state hospital to get their competency restored, and they come back to the jail, they're assigned a new number.
"The jail is a top priority for all of us and it is a tragedy, and it is a travesty," she said. "What a travesty that this person got lost in the system on everyone's watch. That should never happen again."
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