On daily basis, Bexar County Sheriff’s Workplace deputies oversee a jail inhabitants nearing full capability. However, the jail can’t appear to maintain sufficient jailers on employees to oversee inmates — a scarcity that’s contributed to regulatory violations and tens of millions in time beyond regulation pay.
Public data present that as of Aug. 11 the Bexar County Jail’s in-custody inhabitants reached 4,914. Knowledge from Texas Fee on Jail Requirements lists the jail’s capability as 5,108, putting Aug. 11 numbers at 96.2% capability.
This pressure has coincided with excessive turnover, two notices of noncompliance from the Texas Fee on Jail Requirements throughout the previous 12 months and tens of millions spent on paying the employees it has time beyond regulation pay.
In 2023, in an effort geared toward curbing rampant vacancies and decreasing turnover, the Bexar County Commissioners Court docket unanimously accredited a sweeping wage adjustment for sheriff’s deputies.The adjustments value the county roughly $9.6 million yearly whereas establishing a “straight to the streets” coverage permitting cadets to go instantly into patrol.
Regardless of these initiatives, staffing shortfalls persist. As of Aug. 7, the jail had 147 open deputy positions within the detention division, with 40 cadets in coaching, in accordance with data obtained by the San Antonio Report.
The division has struggled with excessive turnover within the two years because the pay raises took impact. From August 2023 by means of Might 2025, 478 licensed jailers left the division, in accordance with state knowledge.
Whereas most months noticed between 10 and 25 departures, the quantity spiked to 45 in April, marking the very best month-to-month turnover because the increase was accredited.
The persistent turnover has coincided with operational challenges contained in the jail.
In late July, the state fee issued a discover of noncompliance after inspectors discovered insufficient documentation that inmates in administrative separation — a type of solitary confinement — had been receiving the required one hour of dayroom entry per day.
To handle the problem, BCSO applied a digitized documentation system and retrained employees. The jail formally regained compliance on Tuesday, Aug. 19, in accordance with an e-mail from BCSO Public Info Officer Deputy Johnny Garcia.
The July discover marked the second time in lower than a 12 months that the jail fell out of compliance.
In November 2024, following a custodial loss of life investigation, TCJS inspectors cited two deficiencies: one for holding an inmate in consumption for over 48 hours and one other for failing to correctly doc or administer prescribed drugs throughout a number of remark rounds performed by jailers whereas the inmate was in holding.
BCSO submitted corrective motion plans in response to each violations and regained compliance on Dec. 31.
Staying compliant, nevertheless, hinges on assembly all outlined minimal jail requirements. Relating to staffing, state minimums solely require no less than one jailer on every flooring that homes 10 or extra inmates and no fewer than one jailer per 48 inmates per flooring for direct supervision.
These necessities apply per shift, not throughout all the facility. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Workplace reported 771 deputies assigned to the jail as of Aug. 7, however solely a portion of these staff are on responsibility at a time as a consequence of shift rotations.
With over 100 vacancies the sheriff’s workplace has relied closely on time beyond regulation to keep up protection, which suggests paying a detention officer no less than $34.47 an hour as soon as they hit 40 hours that week. The hourly pay may very well be extra relying on the officer’s rank.
At an Aug. 12 Commissioners Court docket assembly overlaying the proposed funds for fiscal 12 months 2026, Funds Director Tanya Gaitan mentioned the sheriff’s workplace spent over $20 million on time beyond regulation and compensatory time in fiscal 12 months 2025. County officers need to scale back time beyond regulation pay by $5 million within the upcoming funds.
The funds additionally consists of funding for 70 new detention positions. However that funding is being held in contingency — a budgetary holding sample meant to sign that new positions alone gained’t repair the jail’s staffing disaster.
“We’re asking the sheriff’s workplace if they’ll work with us and the Commissioners Court docket to find out how they’re going to lower time beyond regulation as soon as they fill these positions — and the way they’re going to really fill them,” Gaitan mentioned. “Proper now the courtroom is paying time and a half to fill the South Tower, and as , the jail inhabitants is at its most — generally extra.”
County Supervisor David Smith advised the Report at a subsequent funds city corridor that projections recommend the sheriff’s workplace gained’t have the ability to entry the funding within the subsequent 12 months.
“He nonetheless has 140 vacant positions elsewhere. It’ll most likely take a 12 months for him to start addressing these a number of positions,” Smith mentioned, referring to Sheriff Javier Salazar. “We put it in contingency — it’s not in his funds but — so we are able to see if he quickens his hiring course of. But when he sticks to the traditional pattern, we don’t suppose they’ll get there.”
Advocates, nevertheless, say vacancies are solely a part of the issue.
“Understaffing will get used as a catch-all excuse for every part that goes incorrect in jail,” mentioned Krishnaveni Gundu, co-founder and govt director of Texas Jail Venture, a nonprofit group that advocates for and with individuals incarcerated in Texas county jails and their family members.
“However you’re by no means going to have sufficient employees while you’re incarcerating at this stage.”
She pointed to the excessive share of Bexar County inmates held pretrial — many on low-level or nonviolent costs — as a key issue draining jail sources. “In the event you’re holding individuals on Class B or Class A misdemeanors who can’t afford bail, you’re squandering precious staffing and jail sources,” she mentioned.
As of July 1, state knowledge reported 750 inmates had been held pretrial on misdemeanor costs, accounting for roughly 15% of the full jail inhabitants.
With out broader reforms to cut back reliance on pretrial incarceration, Gundu mentioned, counties like Bexar will stay trapped in a cycle of pricey turnover, repeated noncompliance and avoidable hurt.
The proposed County 2026 funds is anticipated to be finalized in September.
