Fort Worth

County Jail In Abilene Runs Out Of Room For Female Inmates

The Taylor County Jail in Abilene has run out of room for more women inmates, forcing county commissioners to contract with nearby Erath County to house the overflow female prisoners.

Sheriff Ricky Bishop says his jail has 675 inmates, including 123 women.  The jail is set up to handle 118 female prisoners.

The Abilene Reporter News reported Taylor County commissioners met in an emergency session Thursday to approve a contract that calls for the county about 230 miles west of Fort Worth to pay $45 a day to Erath County to care for women inmates it can't accommodate.

The sheriff says the number of female prisoners has been rising steadily. Authorities blame the increase on drug-related arrests.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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