INSIDER
‘I fear every day that my son is here’: San Antonians reflect on safety inside Bexar County jail
Read full article: ‘I fear every day that my son is here’: San Antonians reflect on safety inside Bexar County jailReflecting on safety inside the Bexar County Adult Detention Center following three deaths in 15 days.
BCSO transferred 150 inmates to other county prisons, will move more due to capacity
Read full article: BCSO transferred 150 inmates to other county prisons, will move more due to capacityThe Bexar County Sheriff's Office took to Commissioner's Court Tuesday to explain why they've already shipped 150 inmates to neighboring counties. There are over 100 more that are ready to be moved as well. BCSO has requested over $4 million for the transporting, but Commissioners Court is holding off for now.
Inmates face challenges as Bexar County jail grapples with new online system
Read full article: Inmates face challenges as Bexar County jail grapples with new online systemJoAnn Harrison, the mother of a 24-year-old inmate inside of the Bexar County Detention Center is pleading for her son with multiple disabilities to be released.
TDCJ issues immediate lockdown, search of all correctional facilities
Read full article: TDCJ issues immediate lockdown, search of all correctional facilitiesThe Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced Wednesday that the agency implemented a statewide lockdown and search of all of its correctional facilities.
Attorney: Kidnap plot leader should not get life sentence
Read full article: Attorney: Kidnap plot leader should not get life sentenceThe attorney for the leader of a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov_ Gretchen Whitmer says his client should not be sentenced to life in prison because prosecutors overstated his role in the plot and have created a “false narrative of a terrifying para-military leader."
Bexar County district court judge helping to tackle jail overcrowding problem
Read full article: Bexar County district court judge helping to tackle jail overcrowding problemA Bexar County district court judge is trying to help alleviate the overcrowding problem at the jail by spending time on a docket of cases that could be resolved quicker than others.
Bexar County Jail inmate dies after alleged assault by gang members, sheriff’s office says
Read full article: Bexar County Jail inmate dies after alleged assault by gang members, sheriff’s office saysA 40-year-old inmate has died after an alleged assault by two other inmates at the Bexar County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office.
Woman sues BCSO, University Health over lithium overdose that occurred at jail, left her in coma
Read full article: Woman sues BCSO, University Health over lithium overdose that occurred at jail, left her in comaA San Antonio woman with a mental illness claims she nearly died while in Bexar County Sheriff’s Office custody late last year after suffering a lithium overdose at the jail, according to a federal lawsuit filed this month.
Iowa woman sentenced to 25 years in hate attacks on 2 kids
Read full article: Iowa woman sentenced to 25 years in hate attacks on 2 kidsA white Iowa woman who said she drove her SUV into two children in 2019 to try to kill them because of their race has been sentenced to 25 years in prison on federal hate crimes charges.
Bexar County judge invalidates Gov. Abbott’s executive order limiting jail releases during pandemic
Read full article: Bexar County judge invalidates Gov. Abbott’s executive order limiting jail releases during pandemicGov. Greg Abbott’s executive order that heavily limited jail releases was ruled “wholly unconstitutional” by 379th District Court Judge Ron Rangel on Monday.
In-person visits in Texas prison system to resume next week
Read full article: In-person visits in Texas prison system to resume next weekHUNTSVILLE, Texas – Inmates in all Texas prisons and state jails will be allowed to resume in-person visits on Monday, March 15, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. All in-person visits were halted when the coronavirus pandemic swept the state last spring. All visits must be scheduled in advance, and inmates will be allowed only two visits per month. When asked whether inmates in the Bexar County Jail would be allowed in-person visits, Sheriff Javier Salazar said, “We haven’t really done in-person visits in several years.”Instead, he said, inmates will be allowed to continue remote video visits through a system upgraded during the pandemic. AdHe said the sheriff’s office has also provided just over 660,000 free phone calls from inmates during the pandemic.
Deputy thwarts attempted suicide at Bexar County Jail, BCSO says
Read full article: Deputy thwarts attempted suicide at Bexar County Jail, BCSO saysSAN ANTONIO – An inmate was hospitalized after a suicide attempt at the county jail, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office reported. A detention deputy at the Bexar County Jail, while conducting face-to-face observation checks around 3:13 p.m. on Tuesday, stopped the 42-year-old inmate from killing himself. Officials say the deputy entered the cell, used a cutting tool to save the inmate and called for backup. More deputies and jail medical staff rushed to help save the inmate. The sheriff’s office said the inmate was later responsive and speaking with medical staff members.
Comal County to begin moving inmates into new $72 million jail next week
Read full article: Comal County to begin moving inmates into new $72 million jail next weekNEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – In about a week, Comal County will begin moving inmates into the county’s new $72 million jail. The new facility is replacing the old jail built in 1985 to accommodate the county’s growing prisoner population. While touring the new jail Wednesday, Sheriff Mark Reynolds said the design was the result of extensive research. The jail features a pod design rather than a linear design. “Our pods are designed where everything, almost always everything, that an inmate would need or officers would have cause for, is located within that pod,” Reynolds said.
Man who killed special-needs woman sentenced to 40 years of prison in remote hearing
Read full article: Man who killed special-needs woman sentenced to 40 years of prison in remote hearingMan who killed special-needs woman sentenced to 40 years of prison in remote hearingIf you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.
2nd inmate at Bexar County Jail tests positive for COVID-19, sheriff’s office says
Read full article: 2nd inmate at Bexar County Jail tests positive for COVID-19, sheriff’s office saysBEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A second inmate at the Bexar County Jail has tested positive for COVID-19, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday. According to a press release from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, medical personnel evaluated the unidentified inmate after he developed a fever over 100 degrees. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said the inmate has been in custody since March 17, on a violent felony charge. According to the press release, a total of two inmates at the Bexar County Jail, 14 deputies, one video visitation civilian employee and one dispatcher have tested positive for COVID-19. A Bexar County facilities maintenance employee assigned to the Bexar County Jail also tested positive earlier this week.
Lawyers association calls Abbott’s executive order involving PR bonds discriminatory
Read full article: Lawyers association calls Abbott’s executive order involving PR bonds discriminatoryIf you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Copyright © 2020 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and pubished by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings.
Bexar County Jail passes annual inspection
Read full article: Bexar County Jail passes annual inspectionSAN ANTONIO – Last year, the Bexar County Jail failed its annual inspection. However this year, the jail passed. The jail passed a surprise inspection back in November of 2019. Bexar County Jail fails inspection, BCSO saysOn Thursday, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office announced it successfully passed the annual inspection. Sheriff: Bexar County Jail back in compliance after surprise inspectionBut, the sheriff's office says those areas are outside the scope of BCSO, such as maintenance, which pertains to Bexar County facilities and to the medical area, which pertains to the University Health System.
Hays County Jail inmate escapes after exchanging identity with cellmate
Read full article: Hays County Jail inmate escapes after exchanging identity with cellmateHAYS COUNTY, Texas – Hays County sheriff’s deputies captured an inmate who escaped jail Thursday after he exchanged his identity with a cellmate, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Shaun Haenes, 41, managed to escape the jail for about an hour before authorities found him at a nearby restaurant. While investigating his release, deputies discovered that Haenes “conspired” with another inmate to swap identities, allowing Haenes to bond out of jail under his new identity. Haenes was originally in jail on multiple drug charges, failure to identify as a fugitive and unlawful carrying of a weapon. His record also included a hold from Williamson County for another charge, according to the news release.
BCSO: Human trafficking suspect taken off life support after suicide attempt
Read full article: BCSO: Human trafficking suspect taken off life support after suicide attemptSAN ANTONIO – A Bexar County Jail inmate who attempted to take his own life on Nov. 2 died Monday, according to the sheriff’s office. Rondell Lee Peterson, 35, was in jail on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child and trafficking of persons. A deputy found Peterson hanging from his cell on Nov. 2, cut him down and alerted medical staff. Peterson was placed in a medically induced coma until his family made the decision to take him off life support Sunday. Medical staff pronounced him dead at 12:11 p.m. Monday.
72-year-old inmate who died at Bexar County Jail identified
Read full article: 72-year-old inmate who died at Bexar County Jail identifiedA 72-year-old male inmate who died early Monday morning at the Bexar County Jail has been identified. The inmate was identified as David Alan Watts, who was jailed on a charge of indecency with a child-contact, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said. Around 2:24 a.m., deputies and medical staff responded after Watts experienced an apparent medical episode within the detention center, officials said. A definitive cause of death will be determined by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office. As per standard procedure, the BCSO Criminal Investigations Division (CID), Internal Affairs, and the Public Integrity Unit are conducting an investigation into the death, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said.