After being in TDCJ for two and a half years, my son was bench warranted to county in November for a domestic matter. This matter was finished on January 5th. He is still in county jail even though the judge told him he would be on the bus the next day. We have put everything - magazine subscriptions, classes, etc. - on hold waiting for him to have a permanent home again. He has seen others who were bench warranted out of tdcj come and go. What could possibly be keeping him there? He is a short timer since he will have completed his sentence in just over a year. Should I contact someone to see if they just forgot him? It is now 3 months since he was ready to go back and I thought that county couldn't keep him that long.

LAT, trust me they can keep him their as long as they want. My son has been waiting in County for the past 6 months to be transfered to TDCJ. Mine waits for an appeal to be decided. This is only an assumption no one has answers for me.
I wish both you and your son luck. Is he in Harris County? if so then I am sure we have crossed paths before. Have a Great Day.

My Baby sat at county for about 7 mo. also and then he finally caught chain.

My son was at County for 45 days, not nearly as long as you are talking about, but that time didn't count on TDCJ time. What is that about? Time is time.

I think it does count because parole date given states 2 1/2 years which means the count down has started from the time he was sentenced. with state of texas in charge who the Hell knows any more!! Once I think I have figured things out something else comes up. How frustrating!

My grandson was in county for 7 months before being transferred, and his time there did count.

JOJACKS, Thanks for the vote of confidence! I glad to know I was right about that one. would hate to find out that it did not count. hope all is well with you! Jeannie

Any time spent in county waiting for transfer to TDCJ or bench warranted back on something else counts as time served. If that's not being reflected on his time sheet then he needs to contact state counsel for offenders and get it straightened out.

Believe me the time counts was there and know for sure. I spent 6 months in dallas county before going to tdcj and it counted and if brought back to the county on a bench warrant you are still considered a prisoner of the state. Thank god he is there during this part of the summer if he is smart he will want to stay there. I know you dont get to move around as much and the food isnt any good but he has air and that is something he dont have down there. I would find out if he really wants to go back before i started to raise hell cause if it were me i would stay where i was at. But that is just me if he can take the heat contact the warden of the prison and ask questions and the county calling over and ovr will work. but on a bench warrant there is no guarntee of what time you will be there. And if the judge told him that I find it hard to beleive they have no authority of when tdcj will pick them up their job is to sentence them or hear evidence not to schedule the bus ride.

Cindergirl, I had not thought about the air conditioning, but that is a very good point.

He is miserable because he has nothing to do. They won't give him a job or let him take classes because he is tdcj. They won't let him go to the law library because he has an attorney.

My son can not wait till he is out of harris county jail but from what all of you are saying he will not be able to tolerate the heat during the summer in TDC. he is hot natured as it is. He looks forward to the sunlight after not being able to go outside for the past 6 1/2 months. even though I will miss his calls and miss the visist when he gets transfered, and whenever I go see him in county which is only a 25 minutes drive. Him staying here is only making him unhappy and eager to get to TDCJ. I feel it is getting close to him leaving soon.

I told my son the about the advantage of being in jail with AC for the summer and he saidf that he would much rather be in TDCJ. He's already done 3 summers with no air conditioning and he says he gat used to it. What he can't get used to is really cold AC, florescent lights that never go off, and nothing to do all day long. They won't assign him a job because he is a TDCJ inmate. He's read all the books in the library that interest him.

Hey LAT, your son sounds like mine. He keeps telling me he can handle the heat in TDCJ but wants to get out of County so bad due to all the same reasons your son states. He is also on TDCJ time and was placed as a trustee for three weeks until classification found out and asked him to step down due to his case and status. He was so bumped out. Hope al lis well on your end. Jeannie

Cindergirl, I had not thought about the air conditioning, but that is a very good point.

He is miserable because he has nothing to do. They won't give him a job or let him take classes because he is tdcj. They won't let him go to the law library because he has an attorney.
They cannot legally deny him access to the law library, regardless of whether or not he has an attorney. What if he wanted to file a civil lawsuit against the jail, for example, for denial of his First Amendment right of access to the courts? His criminal attorney doesn't have anything to do with that. The jail must provide him with the ability to file a civil complaint. Also, a defendant must be able to adequately participate in his own defense. That requires having access to a law library. He should file a grievance.

Regarding the A/C discussion, my husband has been dying from the heat at the TDCJ unit he was in and he just got transferred to the Trusy Camp located with the Garza Units. He has not stopped talking in his letters about the fact that it has A/C. From what he's told me, in the units that don't have A/C, it's already reaching 100 degrees inside. I really don't know how they can get away with no A/C in the summer in Texas but I guess it shouldn't surprise me.

Thats crazy, you are right, how do they get away with that? No A/C maybe they feel that are family and love ones are nothing more then animals. This is one more thing that can be added to list of things thats wrong with the system. My wife got transferd out from Harris County after only 2-weeks to T.D.C. still dont even know where they took her..... What about Civil Rights or do you loose them too? "They have A/C for the animals at the S.P.C.A." but not for people that have to be in the hands of the state.

maybe its just your sons chain n they can keep then for as long as they wont r you sure theres no other reason they could be holding him for well wish you the best of luck monique r. aguilar

My husband has been in there for two full years and counting...

How did he survive two years of county? I know he caught chain but tell me how much longer for him now? I will keep you in my thoughts. Jeannie