35 Jail Suicides in a Decade: Bexar County Must Move from Studying the Problem to Solving It

The Brief

By Patrick Von Dohlen | July 30, 2026

Thirty-five suicides have occurred in the Bexar County Jail over the last decade—more than double the number reported by Harris County, which operates a larger jail facility.

Chart comparing jail suicides over the last decade in Bexar, Travis, Harris, Tarrant and Dallas counties — Jail suicides over the last decade. Source cited in the original graphic: Texas Jail Project, Texas Commission on Jail Standards and Office of the Attorney General data, as reported by KSAT in July 2026.

Thirty-five (35) suicides in the Bexar County Jail over the last decade. More than double Harris County, which runs a larger jail facility.

Seventy-eight percent (78%) of this year’s statewide jail deaths involved people who had not been convicted. Ninety-one (91) human deaths have occurred in the Bexar County Jail since 2020.

This is unacceptable. The County takes on a duty to protect and preserve these people’s lives when they are incarcerated in our county’s jail.

35 Jail suicides over the last decade

$112M Annual jail operating budget

$15.3M Annual overtime

The Bexar County Jail operates on a $112 million annual budget with $15.3 million in overtime. Those numbers should be producing better outcomes.

I am glad to see Commissioners Court taking up jail and mental-health issues on August 4, fueled by requests from Commissioner Grant Moody, and that the discussion includes a public-dashboard proposal from Commissioner Justin Rodriguez.

These are necessary steps. But there are pieces still missing from the conversation.

What Is Still Missing

A veteran-specific diversion track that unlocks available federal and state funding.
A unified county legislative agenda for the 90th Legislature.
A sustainable operating-funding model so that we do not build a diversion program on one-time money that runs out in three years.

Graphic describing gaps in Bexar County's jail response, including diversion, legislative and sustainable funding needs — Three gaps that remain in Bexar County’s response to the jail crisis.

Bexar County deserves leadership that moves from studying the problem to solving it.

#BexarCountyJail #BexarCountySafe #JailCrisis #PatrickVonDohlen #VotePatrick #VoteVonDohlen #BexarCountyJudge #Election2026 #BexarCountyCommissionersCourt #BCCC

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