SAN ANTONIO — The Bexar County Jail has been deemed noncompliant by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS), officials say.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office received a notification on Nov. 19 that the jail would be placed out of compliance. In response, BCSO sent a plan of action to TCJS in an effort to regain compliance. So far, there have been 13 deaths at the Bexar County Jail in 2024. In 2023 there was 12 deaths in total.
"Regaining compliance with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) is our top priority. In response to the recent noncompliance notice, we swiftly submitted a comprehensive plan to TCJS that not only meets but maintains their standards," Sheriff Javier Salazar said.
"Our plan aims to improve inmate health and streamline the housing process at the Bexar County Jail. We also have support from University Health System which is committed to assisting us with their strategic plan. Together, we are focused on achieving compliance promptly," he added.
The submitted plan includes installing state-of-the-art radar technology which can detect an inmate's motion, heart rate, respiration, and presence or vacancy at the jail. The device would also be able to send alerts to staff if any problems with the inmates health should arise, according to BCSO.
BCSO says they will also be creating 48-hour reports to keep track of all prisoners who have not been housed and assigned a unit within the jail. This is supposed to help prioritize the housing of the inmates.
And lastly, BCSO says they will conduct internal audits on practices regarding inmate housing from booking. This audit will help to ensure all inmates are housed in accordance with the minimum standards set by TCJS. The Bexar County Standards Compliance Unit (SCU) and Jail Administration will review the audit and provide corrective action if needed.
University Health has also established a plan to secure accurate distribution of medication to inmates at the Bexar County Jail. In addition BCSO sent their "Operation Lifeguard" presentation that offers statistics and procedures that are currently being implemented at the jail to help with inmate health and safety, according to BCSO officials.
This is the second time the the jail has been found non compliant with state standards in the past 18 months. TCJS says the Bexar County Jail will now receive increased monitoring and unannounced inspections.