THE COMMISSION WAS CREATED BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IN 1975 IN RESPONSE TO DETERIORATING JAIL CONDITIONS AND CONSEQUENT LAWSUITS AGAINST COUNTY OFFICIALS. THE COMMISSION WAS CHARGED WITH DEVELOPING STANDARDS FOR JAIL CONSTRUCTION AND PRISONER TREATMENT AND INSPECTING EACH JAIL ANNUALLY TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH ESTABLISHED CRITERIA. BY 1979 THE 9-MEMBER COMMISSION HAD PUBLISHED MINIMUM JAIL STANDARDS, HIRED AND TRAINED AN INSPECTION STAFF, PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO COUNTY OFFICIALS, AND REVIEWED CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION PLANS OF COUNTY JAILS. IN 1979 APPROXIMATELY 291 JAIL INSPECTIONS WERE CONDUCTED WITH SOME FACILITIES BEING INSPECTED MORE THAN ONCE AT A COUNTY'S REQUEST. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES TO COUNTIES INCREASED AND 9 MUNICIPALITIES ALSO REQUESTED INFORMATION. THE COMMISSION INVESTIGATED 42 COMPLAINTS, REVIEWED 27 CONSTRUCTION RENOVATION PLANS, AND DECIDED 535 VARIANCE REQUESTS. COUNTIES WHOSE JAILS WERE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WERE CONTACTED, AND MOST BEGAN TO UPGRADE THEIR FACILITIES. THE REPORT IDENTIFIES COUNTY JAILS WHICH COMPLIED WITH TEXAS STANDARDS DURING THE YEAR, COUNTIES WHICH VOLUNTARILY CLOSED MARGINAL FACILITIES AND OPTED TO BOARD PRISONERS IN AN ADJACENT COUNTY, NEW JAILS, AND RENOVATED FACILITIES. THE JAIL COMMISSION AND THE SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS ESTABLISHED A RESOURCE COUNCIL TO DISCUSS JAIL MANAGEMENT, OPERATIONS, AND STRUCTURE. A FEDERAL COURT DECISION IN AUGUST 1979 RETURNED SUPERVISION OF TEXAS JAILS TO THE TEXAS COMMISSION, STATING THAT THE CREATION OF THE COMMISSION INDICATED A STRONG STATE COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING JAIL CONDITIONS. A SURVEY OF COUNTY JUDGES AND SHERIFFS CONDUCTED BY AN INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATURE DEMONSTRATED SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT FOR THE COMMISSION, ALTHOUGH RESPONDENTS WERE DIVIDED ON THE ISSUES OF DIFFERENT STANDARDS FOR URBAN AND RURAL JAILS. AT THE END OF THE YEAR, 15 PERCENT OF COUNTY JAILS WERE IN COMPLIANCE AND OTHERS WERE MAKING PROGRESS TOWARD THIS GOAL. THE APPENDIXES CONTAIN A LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN CREATING THE COMMISSION, A SUMMARY OF THE MEETING OF THE SHERIFF'S ADVISORY COUNCIL, AND THE QUESTIONNAIRE WITH TABULATED RESPONSES USED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE'S SURVEY.