Potter County Looks for Relief as Jail Overcrowding Persists

By Zack Mossbrooks, zmossbro@ttu.edu

The Potter County Jail in Amarillo is full again, and local leaders say they can’t solve the problem on their own.

Potter County Sheriff Brian Thomas, who oversees the jail and its staff, said the jail has more people than it can hold. Because of that, they have to send inmates to other jails in different counties. He said that it costs the county money every single day.

"It costs a lot to send people to other jails. It's something that can't work long-term," Thomas said.

As of early March, the jail was full. This happened even though the courts have been working faster. Potter County officials said the courts finished 60% more cases in the last year. Still, the number of people in jail hasn’t gone down.

According to the Texas Office of Court Administration, the average case dismissal rate for felony charges across Texas is around 30%. However, Potter County has kept its dismissal rate much lower, just over 11% for the first 43 working days of 2025, with 409 felony cases processed during that time. Local officials say this shows they are working hard to manage jail space and be efficient with court time.

One big issue is that people who are supposed to go to state prisons are stuck in the county jail for too long. Commissioner John Coffee, another member of the commissioners' court, said the state should help with this problem.

"If the state took their inmates faster, it would help us out," Coffee said. "We’ve already asked local taxpayers to do a lot. We can’t just keep building new space without help."

To find answers, the county made a team last November to look at all the options. One idea is to make the jail bigger, but that would cost a lot. Another idea was to use the old Nathaniel J. Neal Unit, but it doesn’t meet state jail rules and can’t be used.

Jail overcrowding is not just a problem in Amarillo. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards says over 40 jails in the state are full or nearly full. Potter County’s problem is worse than most because it has to send so many people to jails in nearby counties like Randall, Childress, and Smith.

Sending people out of the county adds more cost each day. That includes paying for travel, staff, and working with the other jails. Sheriff Thomas said it’s not just about money. It’s also hard on the people who work in the jail.

The county team is still trying to find the best solution. Leaders hope the state will help move inmates faster and maybe help pay for new space.

"If nothing changes, we might have to ask voters to pay for a bigger jail," Coffee said. "Nobody wants that, but we have to do something."

For now, the jail stays full, and there seems to be no easy fix in sight. The problem continues to affect local budgets, staff, and public safety, and county leaders say time is running out to find a workable plan.