County judge candidate Ralph Cooper upped his criticism of the county’s decision to build the Jack Harwell Detention Center Tuesday by suggesting that the county seek input from residents on other uses for the mostly empty facility.

Cooper, the Democrat challenging incumbent Judge Jim Lewis, addressed the McLennan County Commissioners Court Tuesday during the meeting’s public comment period.

He pushed for the release of the jail’s inmate population numbers and revenue to the public.

The jail, which has an 816-bed capacity, had 355 inmates as of Monday night.

Cooper also raised concerns that relying on housing revenue alone would not cover the jail’s construction costs.

He called for the court to establish a citizens commission to discuss alternative uses for the jail that could generate more revenue. According to his website, Cooper suggests possibly turning the jail into a secure mental health facility or a secured drug rehabilitation center.

Lewis, who is seeking a sixth term, said he would not address Cooper’s concerns because he said it was a political ploy.

“I am not going to reply to anything Mr. Cooper says. That’s just a cheap way for him to get his name in the paper,” Lewis said Tuesday afternoon.

Revenues from inmate housing contracts are needed to pay off the $49 million in project revenue bonds that financed the jail’s construction. Community Education Centers, the private detention company that operates the new jail, has said the jail needed to be 90 percent full to cover the bond debt and operational costs.

So far, the county has only acquired one contract to house Harris County inmates at the Jack Harwell facility. Another agreement to house inmates from Dallas County is pending approval from Dallas County commissioners.

The court voted in May to transfer all the inmates from the downtown jail to the Harwell jail so revenue the downtown jail normally receives from housing inmates could be applied to the bond debt.

CEC is paying the county $40,000 for every month the downtown jail is closed. That is slightly below the $44,000 to $70,000 the county has normally received in revenue from the facility.

rdennis@wacotrib.com

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