Audit says Harris County Sheriff’s Office not following state law, thousands owed to former inmates

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A new audit found the Harris County Sheriff’s Office is not following state law. The Harris County Office of the Auditor released a report that showed as of last March, the sheriff’s office held nearly $890,000 in unclaimed inmate funds spread across more than 50,000 inmate accounts.

The audit said that it includes cash people had when arrested and funds sent by family.

According to state law that money is owed to the inmate upon release. The sheriff’s office said these account balances average less than $18.

“You’re talking about people who don’t have much resources to begin with,” said Krishnaveni Gundu, Executive Director of the Texas Jail Project.

Gundu said she’s been following this issue closely.

“This is somebody else’s money that by law needs to go back to them if it was not used,” Gundu said.

The audit said the sheriff’s office lacks formal procedures to routinely review and return funds.

It identified five problem areas, with repeat issues, like failing to regularly reconcile inmate accounts to ensure records match.

However, these concerns were raised before.

“It’s just deeply frustrating to keep watching this over and over again,” Gundu said. “They knew there was an issue. It was very clear what the issues were.”

A 2023 audit found more than $1 million in unclaimed funds.

“If you look at the current audit and compare it to the previous audit, it looks like no major substantial steps were actually taken to remedy anything,” Gundu said.

ABC13 asked the sheriff’s office what it’s done since then.

A spokesperson told ABC13 that they’ve taken steps, such as confirming that an inmate visited the bank before leaving the jail and sending letters if the money goes unclaimed.

“The sheriff’s office is committed to ensuring that all issues identified in the audit are addressed in a timely manner,” HCSO said in a statement.

According to the audit, the sheriff’s office said employee turnover in key financial positions contributed to these issues.

“The sheriff’s office itself looks like they are repeat offenders on this issue,” Gundu said.

Ultimately, auditors said the path forward requires the sheriff’s office to balance the books, repay what’s owed, and implement monthly reviews to prevent this from recurring.

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