Kenny Karl, a former warden at TDCJ's Choice Moore Unit in Bonham, will be retiring from TDCJ at the end of May and Karl plans to start to work June 1, 2009 putting together his staff at the new Fannin County Jail.

Appropriately enough, the Kiwanis Club program was led by Fannin County Sheriff Kenneth Moore. 

Fannin County Sheriff Kenneth Moore

Although many factors came into play  three or four years ago when Community Education Centers, Inc. began site selection for the facility now taking shape on Silo Road, Moore's outstanding reputation in the law enforcement community made a positive impression on the upper echelon of management at CEC.  Sheriff Moore introduced Bob Prince, CEC's primary liaison with local government on several private jail projects.

Bob Prince, CEC Government Liaison

Mr. Prince spent 35 years in public safety, including 19 years as a Texas Ranger.  As site selection progressed, the fact that Prince was familiar with Fannin County and Sheriff Moore improved the odds that the private jail would be built here.

"He's one of the reasons we wanted to construct this facility in Fannin County," Prince stated.  "You certainly need a good working relationship with the sheriff."

That is no less true of the relationship between the county sheriff and the warden responsible for the daily operation of the jail.  As Sheriff Moore has put it in the past, the sheriff and the warden will need to "gee haw" together, meaning this type operation requires coordination and communication between professionals with a similar approach and common goals.  Sheriff Moore and Warden Karl would seem to be an ideal combination.

Not only is Karl a 28-year veteran with TDCJ, but his family lives in Bonham and he would like to raise his children here with the stability this new job offers.  His wife, Mary Karl, is a warden at TDCJ's Buster Cole Unit in Bonham.

John Gilbert, CEC Deputy Director for Secure Facilities Division, was on hand to introduce Kenny Karl as the new warden at the private jail. 

John Gilbert, CEC Deputy Director for Secure Facilities Division

"I think Kenny Karl is an excellent choice for what we want to do here," Mr. Gilbert told the large crowd at Cappy's Cafe.  "He is a former member of the community and well respected in the industry."

Karl has been working at a TDCJ facility in Winnsboro for the past three years and the new warden seemed thankful for this new opportunity to continue his career and be close to his family.

"Lord God answers prayers," Karl said gratefully.  

John Grisham (left), CEC Deputy Director for Secure Facilities Division, was on hand at Cappy's Cafe on Tuesday to introduce Kenny Karl as the new warden at the private jail.

When the new 432-bed Fannin County Jail is completed in late August or the first week in September, it will be the 15th private jail facility in Texas operated by CEC.  Prince said Fannin County will be expected to house between 120-130 prisoners in the new jail, with the majority of beds filled by prisoners under jurisdiction of the U.S. Marshal Service.  CEC will assume all liability of day-to-day operations, housing the prisoners and transporting the U.S. Marshal's prisoners. 

The 22 jailers currently employed by Fannin County will be absorbed into the staff at the new jail at their present salaries, which is approximately $22,000-$23,000.  In all, 65 jailers will be needed to operate the facility.  The new jailers will be hired at a slightly lower salary.  All jailers will undergo training to be certified.  Job fairs for those positions will be held in either May or June.

The new Fannin County Jail is rapidly taking shape on Silo Road.

Prince stated that an occupancy rate of 80% or above would allow the facility to meet its financial obligations.  The facility was constructed and will be operated at no cost to local taxpayers, however this entire concept hinges on CEC's ability to maintain a high occupancy rate.  Prince says all the studies and discussions over the past three years regarding this project indicate a high likelihood of maintaining a satisfactory occupancy rate. 

In fact, he says the jail was planned and is being constructed in a way that would make it possible to double or even triple the size of the facility if prisoner numbers dictate.  Fannin County's close proximity to federal courthouses in Sherman and Plano factored heavily in CEC's final decision to build in Bonham.

As the agreement stands now, Fannin County will assume complete ownership of the jail in 25 years when the debt obligation is met.  If the facility is enlarged, increased revenue would shorten that timeframe slightly.

In addition, Fannin County will be paid $2.50 per diem for every contract prisoner (other than the county's own prisoners).  The county will be contractually obligated to pay about $45 per diem for every prisoner housed at the Fannin County Jail.  This creates a sizeable financial incentive for the county to move prisoners through the court system in a timely fashion, because if Fannin County doesn't need its full allotment of beds, that space can be used to house other prisoners at a slight monetary gain for the county.