Trinity County Jail Out of Compliance After Flooding, Overcrowding; Jasper County Assists With Inmate Housing

Photo courtesy of the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office.

TRINITY COUNTY, Texas — The Trinity County Jail is currently out of compliance with Texas state jail standards following a combination of overcrowding and ongoing infrastructure failures, according to Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace.

In a public notice issued Tuesday, December 30, 2025, Sheriff Wallace confirmed that he formally notified Trinity County Judge Danny Martin of the situation via email after the jail exceeded its approved inmate capacity and experienced another sewer system failure that resulted in flooding inside the facility.

Under Texas standards, the Trinity County Jail is approved to house seven inmates. As of Monday, the jail was housing thirteen inmates in Groveton — nearly double its authorized capacity.

Sheriff Wallace stated that for approximately three weeks, Trinity County has been unable to relocate inmates due to surrounding counties not accepting Trinity County prisoners, leaving the jail with no immediate relief options.

Compounding the capacity issue, the jail’s sewer system backed up again, causing flooding within the facility. According to Wallace, the flooding creates significant health, safety, and compliance concerns. A photograph documenting the flooding was provided to the Trinity County Judge.

“Due to these combined issues, the Trinity County Jail is currently out of compliance,” Wallace stated. “If the drainage issue cannot be corrected and conditions worsen, we have no alternative location to move inmates.”

In his correspondence to county leadership, Wallace requested that the county judge immediately contact Angelina County or any other available counties to negotiate additional bed space to ensure compliance and maintain safety for inmates, staff, and the public.

Despite the challenges, Wallace emphasized that the Sheriff’s Office will continue to operate professionally and lawfully and will keep the public informed as the situation develops.

Following the flooding incident, assistance was provided by Jasper County.

Jasper County Sheriff Chuck Havard confirmed that his office stepped in to help house inmates displaced by the flooding.

“We are proud to step up and assist Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace,” Havard said. “Their jail was flooded yesterday due to plumbing issues and he desperately needed our assistance in housing six inmates.”

Havard emphasized the importance of interagency cooperation among East Texas law enforcement agencies.

“We value our partnerships with East Texas law enforcement agencies. We know if we needed his assistance, he would step up and help us as well,” Havard stated.

No timeline has been provided for when the Trinity County Jail’s plumbing issues will be fully resolved or when the facility will return to compliance. Officials say updates will be shared as the situation continues to unfold.