EARLY VOTING BEGINS IN WALLER CO. BOND ELECTION

  

Voters in Waller County have begun making the decision on whether or not to build a new jail.

Early voting has begun in Waller County’s $39.5 million bond election for a new jail, sheriff’s office and court room.  The proposal to build a new jail in Waller County has come under increased pressure since the death in 2015 of Sandra Bland.  Bland committed suicide in her jail cell after being arrested on an alleged traffic violation.  The Texas Commission on Jail Standards has been pressing Waller County leaders to replace the current jail, which was built in 1987.

Plans for the new jail show a 202 bed facility which would be built on 60 acres of property, with room for expansion.  If the bond is approved, construction could begin in June 2018, with the jail opening in the spring of 2020.