Potter County Jail Overcrowded | Amarillo News

Potter County’s jail is bursting at the seams—605 inmates in just 599 beds—with no easy fix in sight. To cope, they’re leasing space in neighboring counties: Wichita charges $80 a day, Hemphill $55, and Haskell’s bid of $98.50 per day for TDCJ-ready inmates has stalled talks. Sheriff Brian Thomas highlights the chaos: daily transport for court dates drains resources. Judge Nancy Tanner calls these deals temporary bandaids while crime surges and a new jail—projected to take 2.5 years—is the only real solution. Meanwhile, inmates are scattered across Lubbock, Lynn, Deaf Smith, and Garden City. The bottom line? Fixing this could cost residents a 6% tax hike—a tough choice between safety and wallets. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/eec78724aa91c6cb