POWER OF ATTORNEY







Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and

appoints each of Jean L. Byassee and Michael Taylor, signing singly,

the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:





(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity

as an officer and/or director of America Service Group Inc.(the "Company"),

Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange

Act of 1934 and the rules

thereunder;



(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which

may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4, or 5,

complete and execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and file such form

with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange

 or similar authority; and





(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the

foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of

benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned,

it being understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact

on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney

shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions

as such attorney-in-fact

may approve in such attorney-in-fact's discretion.





The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power

and authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever

requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of

the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes

as the undersigned might or could do if personally present, with

full power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming

 all that such attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or

substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this power

of attorney and the rights and powers herein granted.  The undersigned

acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact,in serving in such capacity

at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming, nor

is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities

to comply with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.









This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the

undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect

to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued

by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned

in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.







IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to

be executed as of



this ____ day of December, 2003.





Michael E. Gallagher by Jean L. Byassee



Signature:  _________________________



Print Name: Michael E. Gallagher