Tarrant County OKs termination of contract with private prison. Inmates to return
Tarrant County commissioners voted 4-0 Tuesday to allow the county administrator to terminate the county’s contract with a private prison.
The contract being terminated is with Management & Training Corp., a contractor that manages private prisons and operates the Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility in Post, where Tarrant County has been sending inmates since 2022.
According to County Administrator Chandler Merritt, Management & Training Corp. requires 60 days’ notice to terminate the contract, which the vote gave him the OK to do.
Merritt said that the Texas Commission on Jail Standards inspected and approved two housing towers at the Tarrant County Jail in downtown Fort Worth, where air conditioning renovation was completed. Those towers can now house inmates returning from the prison in Post.
Tarrant County initiated the contract to send inmates to the Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility in August 2022, citing overcrowding and staff shortages. The contract initially ran through the end of 2024.
In January, members of the media notified commissioners that the Dalby Correctional Facility was out of compliance with Texas jail standards. Management & Training Corp. and officials from the prison did not notify Tarrant County.
Tarrant County commissioners voted unanimously at both February meetings to begin the process of bringing back inmates and terminating the contract.
Commissioner Alisa Simmons was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.
