The Bexar County jail is struggling with overcrowding, a shortage of jailers, and aging infrastructure. Commissioners approved $1.5 million for overtime, but the jail population continues to exceed capacity.
An overflow of inmates, a chronic shortage of jailers and aging infrastructure are beleaguering the Bexar County jail. One result: Bexar County commissioners on Tuesday approved nearly $1.5 million for mandatory overtime at the jail for Oct. 15, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025. This week's allocation was the first drawing from over $12.5 million set aside in this year's county budget for overtime.
Addressing the five-member commissioners court, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar touted a reduction in the jail staffing shortage, which averaged 261 vacancies in the last fiscal year but now stands at 98 unfilled positions. But the Democrat also warned that overcrowding in the jail is worsening. 'Inmate population continues to be way ahead of where we were at the same time last year,' he said. 'It's going to be busting at the seams if we don't do something system-wide by the summer time.' In November 2023, the jail held on average 4,144 inmates. This November, there were an average of 5,054, exceeding its maximum capacity of 5,075. Burnet and Kerr county jails are housing more than 100 Bexar County inmates to alleviate overcrowding. Jail fixes The county expects to pay $3.3 million to replace the doors that separate inmates from each other and the public, along with an expected $800,000 for the repair of two elevators, facilities director Dan Curry said. Curry said the projects are a high priority — elevator breakdowns require jail officials to post guards at stairwells, exacerbating an already costly jail overtime problem. Once the county contracts with a company to replace the doors, Curry plans to empty four jail housing units at once, which will require relocating up to 288 inmates, so contractors can install new doors. County Manager David Smith asked if it is possible to empty jail cells for the project given the jail's persistent overcrowding proble
Bexar County Jail Overcrowding Staffing Shortage Infrastructure
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