Voters to Decide on $112 Million Jail Plan

TYLER, Texas — After rejecting two previous jail bond proposals, Smith County voters will be faced with a new proposal on Nov. 6 for a $125 million justice facility.

The proposal includes a new 1,112-bed jail that would have the capacity to expand by 480 beds in the future and the existing jail would be renovated to house 276 beds.

The projects are outlined in a master plan created by architectural and planning firm Carter Goble Lee and the Build the Jail Committee, which was created after the previous two proposals failed.

The jail would be located in a tower that would be about 10-stories tall. The plan, which took more than a year to create, also includes an area for low-risk offenders, office space and a parking garage.

Officials expect the projects to meet the county’s correctional needs for the next 20 years.