SAN ANTONIO – A statewide problem is also causing issues in Bexar County for jail inmates found incompetent to stand trial.
Currently there are 279 inmates sitting in the Bexar County jail waiting to be transferred to a state hospital to begin competency restoration care.
“A jail cell is probably not the best place to put an individual who is awaiting competency restoration,” 379th District Court Judge Ron Rangel said.
Rangel, who presides over the felony mental health court, said that not much can be done for inmates while they wait.
“The Bexar County Jail doesn’t really have the capacity to treat people and restore their competency, that’s what the state hospital was for,” Rangel said.
As of March 31, there was a 697-day wait for a bed in a maximum security unit and a 255-day wait for a non-maximum security unit, according to Texas Health and Human Services. More than 2,400 individuals are awaiting for a transfer statewide.
Staff shortages, along with the increased average length of stay in the state hospital system, has not helped the problem.
“It’s a long waiting game,” Rangel said. “There are always attempts and efforts and pleas made to the Legislature to open up more beds and to provide more facilities so that we can restore these cases.”
Some bills have been filed this legislative session to help alleviate the problem or set deadlines for transfers but none have yet passed.
In the meantime, those inmates continue to wait.