Commissioners Court Briefs

Sheriff proposes eBonds, mental health fixes at jail Young County Sheriff Travis Babcock presented solutions for streamlining the bail process at the County Jail.

Sheriff Babcock also said he was trying out new paint colors and designs in the segregation cells to try to calm mentally disturbed inmates.

Sheriff Babcock reported on the Jail at the June 10 meeting of the Commissioners Court.

The eBonds jail management system would cut out paperwork when inmates get bonded out. Instead of sending a runner to the jail with papers to the jail, the electronic files would be transmitted to the jail, Steve Feiden and Shannon Garza with I3 Vertical told Commissioners.

The company makes $10 per transaction, Mr. Feiden said.

The system also keeps an instant accounting of how much bond each company is allocated, he said.

The system would cost $49,000 for software licensing and $32,000 to migrate the County Jail to the new system and for servicing, Ms. Garza said.

Judge Graham said the County needs “to investigate this” as the commissioners put together their fiscal year 2025 budget.

Sheriff Babcock said he had painted two of the eight segregation cells in colors designed to soothe mentally ill inmates.

“It’s brought on some ideas that we can go on and do the rest [of the cells],” he said. “We took in a guy that was having mental health problems in the first one and he said, ‘That’s nice,’” the sheriff said. “I think it is very clear that Texas needs to do what it can to make it better for people in mental health crises.:”

Helen Farabee hikes budget request

Helen Farabee Centers, the main mental health services provider in Young County, asked the County to increase its funding by threefold in fiscal 2025, County Judge Win Graham told Commissioners at their June 10 meeting.

Helen Farabee requested County support of $80,237.20, up from $27,475 last year, he said.

Judge Graham said Helen Farabee inventoried calls and visits to come up with the new budget request, despite cutting services to Young County.

“That hit me like a ton of bricks,” he said of the funding request.

Helen Farabee needs the funds to match a $12 million state grant, he said.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Stacey Rogers noted that the County cut the agency’s funding by $4,000 after Helen Farabee shut down its “dayhab” center in Graham for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

He asked whether “there are any other options” besides Helen Farabee.

Judge Graham said the County could petition the state of Texas to allow Young County to use Pecan Valley’ Centers for Behavioral & Developmental Healthcare in Palo Pinto County.

Young County could ask to be incorporated into the Pecan Valley service area because it sits on the border of Helen Farabee’s service area, he said.

Judge Graham also noted that Olney Police Chief Dan Birbeck has reported ongoing difficulties in getting Helen Farabee personnel to provide services, including evaluations of mentally ill detainees.

“I know the Chief in Olney has some concerns about it,” Judge Graham told the Commissioners.

The Commissioners tabled the request to allow the Sheriff ’s Office and Judge Graham to discuss the request.