SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man held at the Bexar County Jail since last summer said inmates being fed spoiled food this week pushed conditions inside the jail to near-untenable levels.
Michael Rogers, 36, spoke with the KSAT 12 Defenders via telephone Thursday, despite concerns from loved ones that he could possibly be retaliated against for speaking about the conditions of the facility while still in custody.
“You can feel the tension rising,” said Rogers. “Just a matter of time before people start snapping.”
Rogers has been in custody since early July on two charges of felony drug possession and being a felon in possession of a firearm, court records show.
Rogers is also being held on a blue warrant, a type of warrant filed by the state for a parole violation that keeps a person in custody even after he or she has made bond on their new charges.
He was scheduled to go to trial one week ago, court records show.
Instead, he remains in jail as the number of COVID-19 cases increase daily.
Counting inmates, deputies and auxiliary support staff, well over 60 people based at the jail have now tested positive for the deadly virus.
Rogers said he had noticed a marked change in the food in recent weeks, noting smaller portions, an inconsistent meal schedule and an incident early Tuesday in which inmates were given trays of spoiled food.
“As soon as I opened it up I smelled the food was spoiled,” said Rogers, describing the 3:15 a.m. meal consisting of rice, an apparent soy-based meat substitute and broccoli.
A BCSO spokesman on Thursday confirmed details of the incident and in a written statement shifted blame to the jail’s longtime food vendor, Aramark:
Prior to the completion of inmate trays being distributed at the Bexar County Jail, complaints of food being spoiled were brought to the attention of Detention Supervisors.
Although, no complaints had been made prior to the last 200 inmate trays being distributed, Detention Supervisors made the decision to stop the distribution of those trays in an abundance of caution.
Furthermore, detention staff replaced the trays and served sandwiches. Although inmate complaints were made regarding the food being spoiled, Aramark staff approved the trays for distribution.
Officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which earlier this month suspended the transfer of inmates to its facilities while it deals with the spread of COVID-19, today informed Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff that the transfer stoppage will remain in place for the time being.
Despite Bexar County’s request, TDCJ keeps temporary ban on inmate transfers
“The additional burden counties are incurring while intake is temporarily suspended is not something we take lightly, and the agency will continue working toward the resumption of intake as soon as possible,” wrote TDCJ Executive Director Bryan Collier in a letter to Wolff.
Attorneys for inmates currently being held on blue warrants in Bexar County have expressed frustration at what they described at the state’s lack of responsiveness to the cases of their clients, many of whom are being held on technical parole violations for nonviolent convictions.
A spokesman for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles did not respond to a request for comment from the Defenders Thursday.
When asked if officials with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office had any discussions about asking the state to withdraw its blue warrant against Rogers, a DA spokesperson released the following statement:
Considering Mr. Rogers’ extensive criminal history and his three pending felony charges where he is enhanced as a habitual offender, which means that he is currently facing 25 years to life in prison, the District Attorney’s Office has no plans to intervene on Mr. Rogers’ behalf.