Marcus Ramirez has stepped into a critical role as the newly appointed jail administrator for Jim Wells County, bringing 22 years of experience as a jailer to tackle significant challenges at the 100-year-old facility.
Ramirez was sworn in on Wednesday, Sept 24. by Sheriff Joseph "Guy" Baker to head the jail, a position he knows inside and out after more than two decades in law enforcement.
"It wasn't something I wanted to do. But I'm glad I did it," Ramirez said about his journey into law enforcement.
The seasoned administrator faces immediate challenges with overcrowding and facility limitations. The jail currently has 88 available cells available for inmates, but last month's daily average of population was 139 inmates.
"Every jail, no matter, what size it is has the same issues. Same things. So it doesn't matter the size of the facility. It's how are we going to manage those things that we are all used to managing and dealing with," Ramirez said.
Several cells in the facility are permanently shut down due to outdated communication systems, forcing the county to transfer inmates to other jails across the Coastal Bend. These transfers cost on average $76 per day per inmate.
"There's cells that are in this jail that are shut down permanently because we have to have two-way communication. Those systems are obsolete," Ramirez said.
The new administrator's first priority is addressing staffing shortages, a challenge facing jails nationwide.
"First of all is to get more staff. And it's not just us, we're all struggle with staff shortages. Here's why. Because who's going to say 'hey, I want to spend day in and day out in a jail,'" Ramirez said.
Ramirez said this is just the beginning and he's ready to discuss building a new jail with county officials.
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