Local nonprofits call for changes at Bexar County jail over custody deaths, healthcare concerns
Decade of data shows the Bexar County jail has highest rate of suicides in the last decade among Texas jails, Texas Jail Project says
Emilio Sanchez, Photojournalist
Published: July 28, 2026 at 10:34 PM
BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Houston, Dallas and San Antonio are home to the largest county jails in Texas. So far this year, Bexar County has had the highest number of reported deaths while in jail custody, according to data from the Texas Jail Project
A coalition of local nonprofits held a press conference outside the Bexar County Courthouse calling for major changes at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, saying the county’s handling of people in custody needs to change
“You cannot get well in a cell,” Ananda Tomas, with ACT 4 SA, said
Speakers said the issues range from access to medical and mental health care to detox protocols, accountability and transparency
“Access to medical care is one of the few rights that incarcerated people have,” said Krish Kundu, co-founder of the Texas Jail Project
Kundu said the group’s work has focused on deaths tied to pretrial detention
“Pretrial detention has become a de facto death sentence for many Texans,” Kundu said. “Data that we got from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and the OAG as of yesterday: 78% of deaths in county jails (across Texas) this year were pretrial. That means people were legally innocent.”
Tomas said advocates want intake screenings to better identify urgent medical and mental health needs
“Every person entering this jail should receive a proper assessment and evaluation for medical emergencies, for mental health crises, for alcohol and substance abuse,” Tomas said
One speaker, Anthony, told reporters he has experienced withdrawal while in custody
“Many times I’ve went in there through withdrawal and many times I see, I’ve seen it and experienced it myself,” Anthony said
Kundu also highlighted the experience of families seeking answers after a death in custody
“Here’s a mom, Lydia Leos, whose son died in the jail because of a complete failure of detox protocols more than four years ago,” Kundu said. “She has been fighting for transparency and accountability and something as simple as family notification.”
Kundu said data compiled by the Texas Jail Project over the last decade shows a higher number of suicides in Bexar County jail compared to other large Texas counties
“Thirty-five community members committed suicide in the Bexar County jail compared to 13 in Harris County, seven in Dallas County, 10 in Tarrant, 14 in Travis County,” Kundu said
Advocates said their goals include public-facing accountability measures and better continuity of care
“Creating accountability that the public can see,” Tomas said
Steve Huerta with All of Us or None said the coalition is asking for a public dashboard and improved mental health support
“We’re asking simply that there’ll be a dashboard,” Huerta said. “We’re asking that the continuum of care for mental health be in place. We’re asking that we look at the preconditions of arrest to bring people into the system.”
KSAT reached out to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for an interview with Sheriff Javier Salazar, but he was not available
The sheriff’s office said it works to notify next of kin promptly, as that was one of the group’s high-priority goals with a public dashboard. However, BCSO said locating the right person can sometimes take time and research
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