Doing time

Granbury High School graduate Eric Turbeville wants to break the mold where millenials are concerned – or at least the assumption that those born between the early 1990s and early 2000s feel as if the world owes them.

“I don’t want to fit that mold,” he said.

Turbeville has broken that frame as well as another. After being hired on Dec. 12, 2012 to work as a jailer at the Hood County Jail, a job where there is notoriously high turnover, he not only stuck it out but steadily moved up the ladder.

In August of 2013 he earned a jailer’s license, which is required within a year of employment as a detention officer. By October of that year, he had advanced to the rank of sergeant. In August of 2015, he made lieutenant and in February of 2016, Turbeville became an administrative lieutenant.

His biggest promotion, though, came on May 11.

Turbeville beat out five other candidates to become the new jail administrator. He replaced longtime Jail Captain Ann Brown, who retired.

At just 26, he is now overseeing a staff of 48 and a daily average inmate count of 174. He also has the responsibility of making sure the 192-bed facility complies with state regulations and is ready at any given time for a surprise inspection by the state.

Sheriff Roger Deeds said that he and six others in his department were involved in interviewing the six candidates who applied for the jail administrator job. He said he favored Turbeville above the others.

“He stuck with it and worked hard,” Deeds said of his former jailer. “For some people, it’s just not a good fit. Some people say, ‘This just isn’t for me.’ They’re locked up with those inmates and dealing with them every day.”

Turbeville, though, is cut from a different cloth.

“I love doing this,” he said.

The former ROTC battalion commander was just 19 when he applied to be a detention officer at the jail. He said his goal at the time was to ultimately move from a low-paying corrections job into law enforcement, working as an officer. That goal changed, though, when he discovered a passion for working with the incarcerated.

STRIVING FOR ‘BETTER’

While some may feel little compassion for those behind bars, Turbeville said he believes in “rehabilitation,” due process for those awaiting trial and creating opportunities for inmates to better themselves.

He was with Deeds at Commissioners Court Tuesday to lend his support to a program Deeds wants to implement in which inmates would be issued tablets at no cost to the county. Inmates would be able to access educational materials to earn General Equivalency Diplomas (GEDs).

Commissioners agreed to schedule a workshop to view demonstrations of the devices in preparation for voting on Deeds’ request.

Turbeville said he wants to do what he can “to help inmates and get them back on their feet.”

He stated, “They have rights here. They are innocent until proven guilty.”

As jail administrator, Turbeville oversees hiring processes, court paperwork and compliance with State Jail Commission standards.

Both Deeds and County Judge Ron Massingill noted that Turbeville recently received praise from a jail inspector who made a surprise visit. The jail passed inspection, just as it has with every inspection during Deeds’ 11-year tenure.

Turbeville credited jail staff for the passing grade and Brown for preparing him to take on the top leadership role.

“Everything that goes on here, I’m only a piece of it,” he said. The employees “are working their tails off to make sure everything is done correctly. They are the ones that keep this place in compliance.”

STICKING AROUND

Turbeville said he hopes that a new jail will be built soon, and he looks forward to being part of that planning process.

Jail overcrowding has long been a problem and, with the county’s continued growth, the Commissioners Court is expected to take action on the jail sometime in the near future, whether it be through building a new facility or expanding the current one.

Turbeville plans to be around when that happens.

Although he may someday have a new office in a new jail, for now he is using the same one used by Brown during her 13-year tenure. It is located just a few feet from where inmates are booked into jail.

A window with blinds does not afford a view of outdoor greenery but rather a drab jail hallway mopped by inmates. Humble furnishings include a bookshelf and a file cabinet, and a wall hanging bears the message “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Turbeville’s philosophy for his chosen career is a simple one.

“We’re here to do what we’re supposed to do,” he said, “and go home safe.”

kcruz@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 258