September 1998, Laura K. Saegert, Appraisal Archivist
Agency contact:
This agency contact information was current at the time of the report but may have changed in the interim. Please call (512-463-5455) for current contact information of the agency's records manager or records liaison for these records.
Ms. Carmen V. Arce
300 W. 15 St., Suite 503
P.O. Box 12985
Austin, TX 78711-2985
Record Series Reviews
Records Series Review
Series Title: Public hearing files
Dates: 1976
Agency: Commission on Jail Standards
Obsolete record series? Yes
Replaced by: None
Ongoing record series? No
Annual accumulation:
Agency holdings: These are housed at the agency's offices and comprise
about 0.5 cubic ft. These are not on the agency's retention schedule.
Description: These are transcripts of public hearings held across the
state in 1976 by the Commission to solicit input on what should be involved
in regulating county jails, to use in writing their standards for Texas
county jails. Dates are 1976. Comments were received from state officials,
state agencies, county officials, law enforcement officials, and the
general public. Also present are some incoming letters to the Commission
from officials and others offering comments on various aspects of jail
operation and regulation, and attendance rosters listing people attending
the hearings.
Purpose: These were gathered to receive input for use in writing standards
for Texas county jails.
Agency program: The Commission on Jail Standards sets rules and procedures
establishing minimum standards for the construction, maintenance, and
operation of county jails, including privately operated county and municipal
jails. The Commission also reviews and comments on plans for construction
and major modification or renovation of jails; and inspects county jails
yearly to determine compliance standards. When the Commission determines
minimum standards are not met in a jail, it informs the county sheriff
and County Commissioners and determines a time period (usually a year)
to have the situation corrected. The sheriff or County Commissioners
can apply to the Commission for a variance in the standards, which,
depending on the circumstances, the Commission may grant. However, when
noncompliances in county jails are evident and not corrected, the Commission
does have the authority to shut down a jail and require the transfer
of prisoners to an acceptable detention facility.
V.T.C.A., Government Code, Sections 511.009, 511.011, 511.012.
Arrangement: Chronologically by date of the hearing.
Access constraints: None
Use constraints: None
Indexes or finding aids required for/or an aid to access? No
Gaps: None known.
Problems: None
Known related records in other agencies: None known.
Previous destructions: Destruction requests on file in the Archives
and Information Services Division of the Library and Archives Commission
were checked for the Commission on Jail Standards and none were found
for this series or for equivalent or related series.
Publications based on records: None
Series data from agency schedule: Not on the schedule
Suggested series from state Records Retention Schedule: None
Archival holdings: None in the holdings of the Archives and Information
Services of the Library and Archives Commission.
Texas Documents Collection holdings: None
Appraisal decision: These transcripts were gathered to assist the agency
with a significant function-writing their standards for Texas county
jails, known as Minimum Jail Standards. Because of the importance of
the function I recommend this series be appraised to be archival.
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Records Series Review
Series Title: Index, Minimum Jail Standards
Dates: undated
Agency: Commission on Jail Standards
Obsolete record series? unknown
Ongoing record series? unknown
Annual accumulation:
Agency holdings: This index is housed at the agency's offices and comprises
about 0.1 cubic ft. It is not on the agency's retention schedule.
Description: This is a photocopy of a handwritten index, with annotations,
to the Commission's rules for operating county jails, Minimum Jail Standards.
It is undated.
Purpose: The index provides topical access to Minimum Jail Standards.
Agency program: The Commission on Jail Standards sets rules and procedures
establishing minimum standards for the construction, maintenance, and
operation of county jails, including privately operated county and municipal
jails. The Commission also reviews and comments on plans for construction
and major modification or renovation of jails; and inspects county jails
yearly to determine compliance standards. When the Commission determines
minimum standards are not met in a jail, it informs the county sheriff
and County Commissioners and determines a time period (usually a year)
to have the situation corrected. The sheriff or County Commissioners
can apply to the Commission for a variance in the standards, which,
depending on the circumstances, the Commission may grant. However, when
noncompliances in county jails are evident and not corrected, the Commission
does have the authority to shut down a jail and require the transfer
of prisoners to an acceptable detention facility.
V.T.C.A., Government Code, Sections 511.009, 511.011, 511.012.
Arrangement: Topical.
Access constraints: None
Use constraints: None
Indexes or finding aids required for/or an aid to access? No
Gaps: Index is not dated, it is unknown what edition of the standards
the index would best serve, and whether any earlier or later indexes
exist.
Problems: None
Known related records in other agencies: None
Previous destructions: Destruction requests on file in the Archives
and Information Services Division of the Library and Archives Commission
were checked for the Commission on Jail Standards and none were found
for this series or for equivalent or related series.
Publications based on records: Minimum Jail Standards is published
and contains an index.
Series data from agency schedule: Not on schedule
Suggested series from state Records Retention Schedule: None
Archival holdings: None in the holdings of the Archives and Information
Services of the Library and Archives Commission.
Texas Documents Collection holdings: None
Appraisal decision: This index was prepared for in-house use by the
Commission to provide topical access to the jail standards. The standards
are published and contain an index, likely based on this hand written
copy. I think the published index is sufficient, especially since we
do not know which edition(s) of the standards the hand written index
would serve. I recommend this series be appraised to be non-archival
and the file returned to the agency.
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Records Series Review
Series Title: Sunset Act reference files
Dates: 1977-1979
Agency: Commission on Jail Standards
Obsolete record series? unknown
Ongoing record series? unknown
Annual accumulation:
Agency holdings: These records are housed at the agency's office's,
comprising about 0.1 cubic ft. This series is not on the retention schedule.
Description: This series contains reference materials about the Sunset
Act, dating 1977-1979. Types of materials present are printed items
about the Texas and United States sunset laws, notifications of state-offered
sunset law training sessions, instructions sent to agencies by the Sunset
Commission, and a copy of a standards letter sent to the Sunset Commission
re: agency compliance with the sunset process.
Purpose: This file served as a reference source on the Sunset Act
process.
Agency program: The Commission on Jail Standards sets rules and procedures
establishing minimum standards for the construction, maintenance, and
operation of county jails, including privately operated county and municipal
jails. The Commission also reviews and comments on plans for construction
and major modification or renovation of jails; and inspects county jails
yearly to determine compliance standards. When the Commission determines
minimum standards are not met in a jail, it informs the county sheriff
and County Commissioners and determines a time period (usually a year)
to have the situation corrected. The sheriff or County Commissioners
can apply to the Commission for a variance in the standards, which,
depending on the circumstances, the Commission may grant. However, when
noncompliances in county jails are evident and not corrected, the Commission
does have the authority to shut down a jail and require the transfer
of prisoners to an acceptable detention facility.
V.T.C.A., Government Code, Sections 511.009, 511.011, 511.012.
Arrangement: Unarranged.
Access constraints: None
Use constraints: None
Indexes or finding aids required for/or an aid to access? No
Gaps: None known.
Problems: None
Known related records in other agencies: None known.
Previous destructions: Destruction requests on file in the Archives
and Information Services Division of the Library and Archives Commission
were checked for the Commission on Jail Standards and none were found
for this series or for equivalent or related series.
Publications based on records: None
Series data from agency schedule: Not on the schedule.
Suggested series from state Records Retention Schedule: None
Archival holdings: None in the holdings of the Archives and Information
Services of the Library and Archives Commission.
Texas Documents Collection holdings: None
Appraisal decision: These are ready reference files on the Sunset Act.
Reference files such as these are not archival. These can be returned
to the agency.
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Records Series Review
Series Title: Minimum jail standards files
Dates: 1976-1980, undated
Agency: Commission on Jail Standards
Obsolete record series? unknown
Ongoing record series? likely
Annual accumulation:
Agency holdings: These files are housed in the agency's offices, comprising
about 0.4 cubic ft. This series is not on the retention schedule.
Description: This series consists of typed copies of the statutes governing
the Commission on Jail Standards, undated; photocopies of Minimum Jail
Standards listing a couple of revisions, 1979-1980; and copies of the
Texas Register showing the proposed standards (including new rules and
revisions to existing rules), 1976-1978. Dates for the series cover
the years 1976-1980.
Purpose: These files document publication of the standards in the Texas
Register and may have also documented revisions to the standards. (The
file is incomplete, so this is unknown.)
Agency program: The Commission on Jail Standards sets rules and procedures
establishing minimum standards for the construction, maintenance, and
operation of county jails, including privately operated county and municipal
jails. The Commission also reviews and comments on plans for construction
and major modification or renovation of jails; and inspects county jails
yearly to determine compliance standards. When the Commission determines
minimum standards are not met in a jail, it informs the county sheriff
and County Commissioners and determines a time period (usually a year)
to have the situation corrected. The sheriff or County Commissioners
can apply to the Commission for a variance in the standards, which,
depending on the circumstances, the Commission may grant. However, when
noncompliances in county jails are evident and not corrected, the Commission
does have the authority to shut down a jail and require the transfer
of prisoners to an acceptable detention facility.
V.T.C.A., Government Code, Sections 511.009, 511.011, 511.012.
Arrangement: Unarranged
Access constraints: None
Use constraints: None
Indexes or finding aids required for/or an aid to access? For topical
access to the publication, Minimum Jail Standards, an index is required;
for the majority of materials in this series, none is required.
Gaps: Yes, no copies of the Texas Register after 1978, no revisions
of the standards before 1979 or after 1980.
Problems: None
Known related records in other agencies: None
Previous destructions: Destruction requests on file in the Archives
and Information Services Division of the Library and Archives Commission
were checked for the Commission on Jail Standards and none were found
for this series or for equivalent or related series.
Publications based on records:
Minimum Jail Standards, Commission on Jail Standards
Texas Register, Secretary of State
Series data from agency schedule: Not on schedule
Suggested series from state Records Retention Schedule:
The copies of the Texas Register could be part of this series:
Title: Proofs of Publication, Texas Register
Series item number: 1.1.026
Agency item number: 1126
Archival code: None
Retention FE+1
The printed copies of the standards with revisions could be part of
the series:
Title: Publication development files, Minimum Jail Standards
Series item number: 1.1.028
Agency item number: 1128
Archival code: None (Archival exemption, 1/23/96)
Retention: PS
Archival holdings: None in the holdings of the Archives and Information
Services of the Library and Archives Commission.
Texas Documents Collection holdings:
Minimum Jail Standards, several editions
Texas Register
Appraisal decision: This series consists primarily of copies of the
Texas Register showing proposed rules or changes to rules in the Minimum
Jail Standards. These are available in the Publications Depository.
The printed copies of the standards do not contain any notes or annotations,
and the standards are available as a separate publication. Several editions
of the standards are present in the Publications Depository. I recommend
this series be appraised to be non-archival. The files can be returned
to the agency.
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