April 30, 2020      11:51 AM

Updated: Fort Bend County Judge spars with TDCJ over prisoners who contracted coronavirus and are now housed in Richmond

Judge KP George says he was “shocked to find out that the State of Texas has been using Fort Bend County as a dumping ground for convicted criminals with coronavirus”; the agency pushes back, saying only 35 inmates who are recovering from the disease are at the Jester Unit in Richmond

Leaders in Fort Bend County are at odds with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice over the housing of prisoners who contracted COVID-19 and are now being housed at the Jester Unit in Richmond.

“I was shocked to find out that the State of Texas has been using Fort Bend County as a dumping ground for convicted criminals with coronavirus,” said Fort Bend County Judge KP George in a written statement issued by his office this morning. “The State didn’t tell me until after it had begun the process of transferring prisoners who are positive for COVID-19 to the Jester State Prison in Richmond.”

TDCJ pushed back quickly, saying the Jester Unit now houses 35 inmates who are recovering from COVID-19 after they were medically discharged from a hospital.

By Scott Braddock

Copyright April 30, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved