The Potter County Commissioners’ Court is facing a difficult but unavoidable decision: how to address chronic overcrowding at the Potter County Detention Center (PCDC) and prepare for future demands that appear likely to increase. On Monday, commissioners heard a detailed report from Kenny Burns, CEO of Burns Architecture, LLC, outlining both the current condition of the county jail and the potential long-term needs that could shape the county’s correctional strategy for decades.
The county’s jail capacity challenges are well-documented. The PCDC, which opened in 1995, has 599 beds. During peak periods in 2024, it held as many as 653 inmates. Overcrowding was the primary reason the facility failed its Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) inspection in May. To stay compliant, the county has increasingly relied on costly inmate contract housing arrangements with other counties. This year, Potter County expects to spend more than $820,000 on contract housing, and next year’s budget allocates over $1.2 million — not counting medical or transportation costs.
Commissioners brought in Burns Architecture earlier this year to review the jail’s long-term needs. Burns reported that he received an updated needs analysis from the TCJS on Nov. 25 and presented a range of options and cost estimates based on that guidance and the firm’s own data review.
Despite Potter County’s declining population — down 1.5% between 2010 and 2020, according to Amarillo’s Community Growth Trends — the demands on local law enforcement continue to rise. Burns noted that from 2021 to 2022, the Potter County Sheriff’s Office responded to 10,661 dispatched service calls. By 2024–2025, that number had grown to 17,908.
Several factors contribute to this upward pressure. Law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Public Safety, identify the Texas Panhandle as an active drug transshipment zone. The presence of Interstates 40 and 27 running through Potter County means traffic stops frequently result in arrests for drug-related offenses. As Commissioner Warren Coble put it, “Here’s the thing – in Potter, all the problems are on this side of I-40. So whatever happens on I-40, we’re probably going to get those guys.”
Future development could add still more strain. Burns said the incoming Fermi America Donald J. Trump Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus is expected to bring five to ten thousand construction workers to the region. Limited temporary housing in nearby Carson County means many will reside in Amarillo during the building phase. Burns noted that increased nightlife activity associated with a temporary workforce often brings additional law enforcement challenges, saying, “We expect that you’re going to have some activities at your bars and your restaurants and things that could lead to problems that would affect your jail.”
The TCJS’s latest needs analysis recommends constructing a facility with no fewer than 624 beds and the ability to expand. Burns outlined three options for meeting those needs: maintaining the status quo, expanding the current facility, or constructing a new jail.
Doing nothing leaves the county dependent on contract housing — an approach that may become unreliable as other counties deal with their own capacity issues. It also does nothing to address outdated mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and security systems in the nearly 30-year-old facility.
Expanding the existing jail would add between 96 and 144 beds at an estimated cost of $47 million, including the upgrades needed for the older sections. But the expansion would be the last possible addition to the current site, and construction would take about two and a half years. By the time the bonds supporting the project were paid off, about 25 years down the line, the facility would be approaching 60 years old.
A new jail would offer the clearest path to long-term capacity, according to Burns. Building adjacent to the current jail and Law Enforcement Center would streamline operations, and a modern facility could be designed for future expansion. Initially, Burns recommended a minimum of 672 beds.
However, that recommendation changed after 47th District Attorney Jason Herring briefed commissioners on new laws passed in the 89th Texas Legislative Session. SB 9 accelerates the timeline for felony defendants on bond to return to jail, and SJR 5—linked to the newly approved Prop 3—requires denying bail for certain serious offenses. Herring said these laws will significantly increase jail stays, noting that inmates charged with aggravated assault, for example, may remain in custody for 18 months to two years. He added, “I’ll tell you that those offenses of aggravated assault and the potential that we have to increase our jail population… is well over 400.”
Following Herring’s remarks, Burns recommended raising the proposed capacity to at least 720 beds, and possibly up to 768. A 672-bed jail would cost roughly $202 million; increasing to 768 beds would add about $30 million.
Financing options include Certificates of Obligation — the fastest route — or General Obligation bonds, which would require voter approval. County Auditor Brandon Boston estimated that a $220 million project could add $13.7 million in annual debt service to the county’s current $4 million, depending on interest rates.
Burns urged timely action, pointing out that construction costs increase about 8% annually. A project costing $202 million today could reach $297 million by 2032 and approach $1 billion by 2047.
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