Bexar County is moving its magistrate judges and personnel to the five-story adult detention center annex that’s under construction next to the current jail. Magistrate judges hear charges against people taken into custody and set bail.
County Commissioners approved more than $25 million Tuesday for the conversion of 105,000 square foot building that will have 512 beds.
“It’ll eliminate transportation for us from Frank Wing. It creates a new campus front door for us. It has direct connection to the main jail, so we’re walking inmates, not bussing them to housing units. It is a pre-cast concrete structure, which is very robust from a facilities management standpoint. It’s a lot easier to take care of than a metal building," says Facilities Management Director Dan Curry says consolidation will be more efficient.
Curry also says the open format assists with supervision of inmates. And location leverages existing food, laundry, and maintenance services that are on the campus.
The new annex is scheduled to be completed in spring of 2018.
