Bexar County has turned jail crowding into a standing expense. The county is routinely sending “paper-ready” inmates to nearby facilities and paying other counties to hold them — leaving thousands inside the Bexar County jail while hundreds are housed elsewhere, and the tab is already in the millions.
The 45-day rule — and the fight over the clock
Under state law, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has up to 45 days to pick up convicted, “paper-ready” inmates after transfer paperwork is finalized. Counties say that window can leave them holding people for weeks. As reported by KERA, officials disagree on when the 45-day clock starts, fueling disputes between sheriffs and the state over who covers housing costs.
What the numbers look like
In the most recent period, Bexar held about 4,673 inmates in its own jail while paying other counties to house roughly 266 more. As reported by San Antonio Report, pickups in Bexar now average about 29 days — roughly a day under the statewide average. The county estimates its in-house daily cost at about $87.17 per person; Burnet and Kerr charge roughly $80 and $65 per day, respectively. Bexar budgeted $4.2 million for fiscal 2024–25 and $4.5 million for fiscal 2025–26 to pay for out-of-county housing, though Commissioner Grant Moody warned the current run rate could push that figure closer to $7 million a year.
Is this the ‘new normal’?
Sheriff Javier Salazar says the transfers keep the jail compliant with Texas Commission on Jail Standards requirements on staffing and capacity. “They get basically 45 days of free rent from Bexar County,” Salazar told San Antonio Report, calling the move the “lesser of two evils.” Commissioner Grant Moody has pushed back, labeling the transfers “an additional cost” and urging the county to use available space before paying other jurisdictions.
How it started — and what’s next
The county began shifting inmates to Burnet and Kerr in mid-2024 as the jail neared capacity, with local outlets noting early invoices and informal agreements. As KSAT reported last year, the sheriff said formal contracts were being negotiated while relying on nearby counties to ease pressure. Commissioners Court has budgeted for the practice, but officials say a longer-term fix — either more capacity or operational changes — will be needed to stop the outflows.
Why it matters
Shipping “paper-ready” people outside Bexar raises questions about jail safety, staffing and how public money is spent. Critics argue the approach can obscure bigger capacity and court-processing problems. For now, officials say they’ll keep sending inmates out as needed to meet state standards, even as commissioners debate whether that should remain the status quo.
