Print
Dec 28, 2006 5:52 pm US/Central
Elected County Judge Tours Dallas County Jail
by Steve Pickett
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Jim Foster, Dallas County's top elected official, begins his post as county judge next week. He will preside over everything from Parkland Hospital to the Sheriff's Department.
On Thursday, Foster was given a crash course on the second largest public funded entity in the county, the Dallas County Jail.
The facility is overcrowded, understaffed, and under the scrutiny of the Justice Department for inadequate inmate medical care.
Foster discussed his plans on Thursday. "Keep in mind," he said, "the taxpayers pay the burden of these folks. We must reduce the population of this jail."
Foster wants to follow the plans of Sheriff Lupe Valdez.
Up to 7,000 people sit in the Dallas County Jail waiting for hearings, trials or transition to state prison. The sheriff says that new judges and prosecutors can assist the new leader of county government in achieving the inmate reduction goal. "I'm trying to work with the judges and the court system so we can get them going to trial, get them out of here," Valdez said. "We are a holding area. We don't need to be holding this many."
Two years ago, Valdez and Foster were opponents as candidates for sheriff. Now, they will be working together on all county issues.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
