In an effort to combat the decades-long jail overcrowding issue, the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Facility may be getting an expansion in the near future.

Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez and Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra confirmed earlier this week funds will be designated to the planning of additional pods for the county jail in Edinburg after the commissioners court approved of a $50 million certificate of obligation in a July meeting.

The initial design for the jail before its construction was completed in 2003 held 2,000 beds and would have cost the county $56.5 million.

However, commissioners court and former County Judge Eloy Pulido chose to build a smaller facility containing 1,232 beds with a price tag of about $42 million despite warnings from officials.

The choices mad

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