Dear friends and neighbors,
There’s a lot happening across Pct. 3 this month. In this edition, I’m sharing my perspective on the ongoing challenges at the Bexar County jail and outlining practical steps we can take to move toward real solutions. You’ll also find updates from around the precinct, highlights from recent community events, and a look at the work our team has been doing to stay connected with residents.
As always, we strive to be the gold standard in constituent services. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office if you have a concern or issue in your neighborhood.
On Sunday, I shared my analysis and perspective on the path forward to solve the crisis at the Bexar County jail in the following op-ed published in the San Antonio Express-News on Sunday, March 8.
If you haven’t had a chance to read it, I’ve included the full write-up below.
“Commissioners Court must address deadly crisis at the Bexar County jail”
By Grant Moody, for the Express-News
“After years of tacitly accepting problems at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, multiple failures of state inspections and study after study offering tangible solutions, it is well past time for commissioners to take meaningful action.
Two facts in this crisis cannot be disputed: The Bexar County jail has serious problems as outlined in the Express-News Editorial Board’s “Jailed to death” series, and Bexar County Commissioners Court, where I serve representing Precinct 3, is responsible for fixing them.
From this starting point, however, the issues become complex and require a holistic analysis of our criminal justice system. Several underlying challenges have been identified in the series and the community conversation: the backlog at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, overcrowding at the jail, a lack of forensic and civil mental health beds, inadequate on-site medical facilities, deadly redundancy that comes with double magistration, and long delays and confusion at the County’s Justice Intake & Assessment Annex. Each of these is worthy of a deeper dive, but I will provide a brief overview.
Case backlog at the district attorney’s office: The slow reopening of courts post-COVID, combined with new IT systems and ill-advised policies, created a backlog of 6,330 cases that District Attorney Joe Gonzales has been slow — if not unable — to address.
Despite providing $591,428 in flexible overtime funding and investing $950,000 in third-party crime lab support, according to the most recent data we have from the district attorney’s office, 3,851 cases remain in the high-risk intake backlog and 1,786 unindicted inmates remain in jail. These factors combine to extend length of stay and further compound overcrowding.
Jail overcrowding: Texas jail experts indicate that anything over 95% capacity strains operations and creates serious challenges. For at least 18 months, the Bexar County jail has operated at or above this critical capacity. We have relied on costly contracts with nearby Kerr and Burnet counties to house 200 to 300 Bexar County inmates at any given time. At current rates, these contracts cost taxpayers more than $7 million annually — and that number is likely to grow because our county population is growing.
Mental health beds: Sheriff Javier Salazar has warned Commissioners Court for years that hundreds of inmates in the jail are mentally incompetent and should be placed in secure forensic mental health beds or receive appropriate treatment. Bexar County previously attempted to partner with the Center for Health Care Services, the local mental health authority, to address this population, but that program has been discontinued. The problem, however, remains. These inmates require a disproportionate amount of care and supervision, contributing to overtime costs and staffing challenges.
Medical facilities: University Health System, the public hospital system known as UHS, provides medical services at the jail. But limited on-site facilities make care difficult. In many cases, inmates must be transported to UHS hospitals for treatment, delaying care and placing additional strain on staffing. University Health leadership has publicly called for expanded medical facilities at the jail so providers can deliver care more efficiently and effectively.
Double magistration/Justice Intake: Double magistration is the product of a long-standing political dispute that must be resolved immediately, but improvements to the jail’s intake annex would address many of the underlying concerns driving this issue.
While several studies have outlined options to address these challenges, Commissioners Court has failed to take meaningful action. For more than a year, I have called for an honest, open discussion about potential solutions. I have said repeatedly that I am solution agnostic. I don’t presume to have all the answers, but I am willing to act.
Here is one possibility: Given budgetary constraints and the feedback I’ve heard from dozens of stakeholders, I believe a medical annex at the jail, which would include mental health beds and an updated and improved intake annex, would be a serious attempt to address most of these issues in a timely manner.
A medical annex would fit within the current jail footprint and provide the space needed for medical treatment, mental health care and an opportunity to right-size and rebuild the intake annex. By relocating acute mental health cases, medical services and intake functions out of the existing facility, we could significantly reduce overcrowding, as well as the need to house inmates in other counties.
Another benefit of this approach is that UHS and Bexar County could share the cost of such a facility. The project could also be built out over six to eight years — constructing the building shell and initial floors first, then completing the remainder over time — thereby minimizing up-front costs and protecting our bond rating.
It is critical that we take a comprehensive view of our criminal justice system and look for holistic solutions that can solve or address multiple challenges our community faces. There is a great deal of discussion around building a diversion center, but its role, particularly how it would address the need for mental health beds, remains unclear.
“Diversion” can mean different things to different people, so we need to ensure understanding and then alignment on what a diversion center would provide and which problems it can help address. It is a likely necessary, but not sufficient, tool to solve our broader criminal justice challenges.
Additional forensic beds, expanded medical capacity and a new, improved intake annex are almost certainly needed as well. If we focus too narrowly, we risk failing to address the full scope of the problem.
Nevertheless, we also cannot allow perfect to be the enemy of the good. Gen. George S. Patton once said, “A good plan, executed violently today, is better than the perfect plan next week.”
He was not dismissing the work of planning or finding solutions but rather championing initiative and action. In Marine Corps training, they instill this bias for action. Bexar County Commissioners Court needs to find it.
Commissioners Court must find the political courage to step up now and act, or risk the crisis at the jail becoming even more dire. Let’s put politics aside and focus on doing the work we were elected to do.”
My Take on Operation Epic Fury
I joined News 4 San Antonio on Monday, March 2 to discuss the ongoing conflict with Iran. This is a developing situation and one we are monitoring closely.
As Military City, USA, it is our duty to support our men and women in uniform and their families, understanding that in times like these, the situation can change day by day.
Operation Epic Fury is the right mission and has been hugely successful so far. I remain skeptical of Iran’s ability to continue to escalate this conflict, especially in light of last year’s 12-day war. I have not received orders to mobilize through the Reserves, but I stand ready to serve if called–just as I did last summer. In the Marines, we embrace a “fight tonight” mentality, emphasizing the need for constant preparation and vigilance to keep our nation safe. Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, and the threat must be eliminated.
Thank you to the News 4 team for the opportunity to share my perspective as a LtCol in the Marine Reserves and as your County Commissioner.
Easter Egg Hunt 2026
Get ready for our Easter Egg-Stravaganza on Sunday, March 29 at the Rock at La Cantera (1 Spurs Wy, San Antonio, TX 78256) from 12 PM-3 PM!
In addition to the egg hunt, there will be face painting, bounce castles, and activities for all age groups. This event is FREE and open to the public!
Making Community Connections
Our Director of Outreach, Taylor Puente, has been hard at work strengthening connections throughout our community.
She recently met with Amy Palmer, President and CEO of Soldiers’ Angels, which provides critical aid, comfort, and resources to active-duty military, veterans, and their families.
As a previous board member and current member of their Advisory Council, I’ve had the privilege of supporting this nonprofit for many years.
Taylor also spent time with the leadership team at Pathways Youth & Family Services, a nonprofit working to find loving homes for foster youth—especially those with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
We’re grateful for organizations like these that are making a real difference for military families and vulnerable children in our community.
Opening Day at McAllister Park Little League
Opening Day is always a special tradition. I was glad to join the celebration for McAllister Park Little League at McAllister Park.
Youth sports play an important role in helping kids build confidence, learn teamwork, and stay active.
Thank you to the coaches, parents, and volunteers who dedicate their time to making opportunities like this possible. Best of luck to all the teams this season!
The Alamo 190 Salute
As we honored the 190th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, we took time to remember the heroes who gave their lives and reflect on the legacy that continues to shape Texas today.
I was honored to attend “The Alamo 190 Salute – An Evening in the Garden” last month along with my wife, Steph, and friends, Councilwoman Misty D. Spears and her husband, Justice Adrian Spears.
We also got a sneak preview of the Texas Cavaliers Education Center, a new space just steps from The Alamo that will help bring Texas history to life for the next generation through hands-on learning and innovation.
Learn more at: https://www.thealamo.org/support/alamo-plan/education-center
Progress on FM 3351 is moving forward!
We recently held our first stakeholder meeting of 2026 focused on the future expansion of FM 3351. These meetings are critical to keeping everyone at the table and ensuring this important project stays on track as we plan responsibly for growth in our community.
It was a productive conversation, and I appreciate the partnership and collaboration.
Thank you to our partners–including the City of Fair Oaks Ranch, Boerne ISD, Kendall County, Comal County, and the Texas Department of Transportation–for your continued engagement.
I’ll keep you posted as we move forward. The work continues!
