Grayson County Sheriff’s Office creates agreements with cities requiring fees for certain inmates

SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - There’s a hidden cost to crime in Grayson County.

It’s the money the sheriff’s office pays to house prisoners from cities around the county that can’t take them in.

But there’s a new agreement with cities to help defray the costs.

So far, Denison, Van Alstyne, Howe, Southmayd, Sherman, Bells, Tioga, and Pottsboro are joining the group entering into a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office.

“We’re asking them to enter into the MOU for us to accept their Class C prisoners,” said Captain Marty Hall with the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office.

Hall said Class C only misdemeanors, any offense punishable by a fine, make up less than 2 percent of the jails population.

“It could be public intoxication,” said Hall. “It could be a simple assault, stuff like that. It could even be certain traffic violations.”

But under this agreement, cities will pay $65 for sending a Class C prisoner to the county jail.

It started in Sherman almost ten years ago.

“When Sherman shut down their city jail, they entered into an agreement with the sheriff’s office to take their class c prisoners,” said Chief Deputy Tony Bennie.

The county said its jail is full.

On Wednesday, it was over capacity and sent 16 prisoners to other county jails, which cost money.

“We’re footing the bill,” said Hall. “We’re housing their prisoners. It is helping offset those costs because, right now, we’re having to pay for the inmates that we have housed out of the county,” said Hall.

Hall said they are looking at signing agreements with a few other cities in the coming weeks or months.

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