New Texas law aimed at helping incarcerated veterans now in effect

SAN ANTONIO – There are currently at least 112 veterans behind bars at the Bexar County jail, according to data made available because of a new state law that went into effect last week.

Under Senate Bill 2938, every time someone goes into a Texas county jail, sheriffs must verify whether that person also served in the military. Before the law, the verification process in jail for veterans was inconsistent.

Supporters argue the law will help incarcerated veterans get on the right track once they’re released from jail.

“There are a lot of vets... (that are) so lost, that they don’t know how to get back,” veteran Morris Austin said.

Austin, 66, was released from the Bexar County jail about one month ago. He told KSAT he was incarcerated on a drug charge.

Now that Austin is out, he wants to stay out and build a new life.

Luckily, he has the essentials: food and a place to stay. He’s also receiving help through the Bexar County Military and Veterans Service Center.

“We offer employment services that can assist. We have a peer support and a financial assistance program,” said Keith Wilson, executive director of the center.

The agency is aimed at helping all veterans, including those who are in jail, which is where SB 2938 comes in. The law went into effect Sept. 1 and requires jails in Texas to verify the veteran status of inmates during intake.

“We’re not starting from zero,” Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said.

Salazar said the law was simple to implement at the jail.

“We have a system in place that will identify someone as a veteran even in the event that they check ‘no,’” Salazar said.

The verification process is supposed to make it easier to connect veterans with services from the time they get to the jail.

“I’ve got one staff member who goes there on a regular basis running individual sessions, group sessions with veterans already,” Wilson said. “What we want to do is show them a road that’s hopefully going to prevent them from coming back.”

Salazar told KSAT he supports the new law.

“We owe it to our veterans to take care of them,” he said. “I’m a firm believer that not everybody in the jail is a dangerous person. Many times, people wind up in jail for circumstances well beyond their control.”

Morris was out of jail before the new law took effect. However, he’s optimistic about how it could help veterans. He hopes they take advantage of opportunities to get help and stay out of legal trouble.

“Just try to maintain, and when you get out ... try to find your support group,” Morris said.

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