Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn discusses vision for jails amid controversy and criticism
FORT WORTH – Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn understands the numbers. He helms the third-largest jail in the state, averaging 4,300 inmates daily and 45,000-50,000 a year.
The sheriff said 66% of his population deals with mental health challenges and half of them are chronically ill. Nearly two-thirds of people who leave the jail will come back.
But the number that continues to weigh on Waybourn's tenure is 64: the number of people who have died while in Tarrant County custody since he took office in 2017. Most of the deaths were due to medical issues or natural causes, according to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office.
Waybourn, who is up for reelection this November, is seeking change. Earlier this month, he asked the Tarrant County Commissioners Court to invest in improving the jail, including funding for body cameras, establishing an officer wellness program, and bringing in an outside firm to review their standards and practices.
"I don't believe it should be the Hilton, but I think that obviously we want to treat everybody that comes into the jail with dignity and respect, regardless of what their circumstances are," Waybourn told CBS News Texas late last week.
Community activists have long protested what they call dangerous or inhumane conditions at county jail facilities. The outcry grew in April with the death of Anthony Johnson, Jr., who died when a shakedown of Johnson's cell led to a confrontation between him and detention officers.
Officer Rafael Moreno and Lt. Joel Garcia, a supervisor, were charged with murder. Johnson's family filed a federal civil lawsuit and joined calls for Waybourn's resignation and a Department of Justice investigation into Tarrant County jails.
One of Waybourn's more high-profile critics is Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons. In the wake of Johnson's death, Simmons released a statement blaming Waybourn for "a toxic jail command climate, poor training, a lack of transparency on practices, and a demoralized prison detention force." CBS News Texas has reached out to her office for comment on Waybourn's proposed changes.
"I know that there was an outcry of some people who sent some things to DOJ and said go investigate Waybourn and the jail," Waybourn said. "And it's my understanding from the DOJ that they're not interested. That we are not out of compliance."
Waybourn said the four county jail facilities are functional and up to standard, even exceeding the state's jail standards.
He said the timing of his request this month for changes had nothing to do with the death of Johnson or any other inmate. He said the work has been ongoing since 2021. "We had one set of rules over here and another set over here, and we're just trying to mesh them together and let everybody, you know, obviously meet the standards that we want them to meet," he said.
Waybourn said he also wants to hire 150 officers to fill staffing gaps and cut back on the number of hours that employees work.
Waybourn said he doesn't send press releases on the lives saved inside Tarrant County jails, but it happens, with employees going beyond their duties in some cases.
Waybourn said despite the problems and the criticism, he's never had a moment where he wanted to throw in the towel.
"I'm a man of strong faith. I believe that. I believe what the Bible says," Waybourn said. "And I believe that while I was voted into office that God ordained it. And when he's ready for me to leave, I came in smiling and I plan to go out smiling."