THUMB AWARD KUDOS FOR COUNTY JAILS

Thumbs up to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department for obtaining high marks on all four county jails during a recent inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. For the second consecutive year, the jails received passing marks in each of the more than 600 inspection areas, making it the largest jail in the state ever certified by the commission. (County jails in Houston and El Paso, by contrast, are currently not certified.) “One hundred percent compliance,” noted supervising inspector Robert Dearing in his report. “Exceptionally clean and very professionally operated facility.” County officials say much of the credit goes to Major Robert Knowles, deputy detentions commander, who recently was named Correctional Administrator of the Year by the American Jail Association.