Travis County jails are running out of room; see uptick in violent offenders

AUSTIN, Texas - The backlog at the courthouse is causing a problem at the jailhouse.

Almost 600 people, all charged with violent crimes, are in the Travis County jails.

Data obtained by FOX 7 Austin show that a specific inmate population has dramatically increased from what it was 10 years ago.

Inmate population increases in Travis County

The backstory:

The Travis County jails, in downtown Austin and Del Valle, as of Tuesday, Oct. 7, were holding 2,366 inmates. The majority of those locked up are accused of committing violent crimes and are awaiting trial. There are 29% in maximum security and 60% in medium security cells. 

The facilities were built 30 years ago, and in a statement sent to FOX 7, Sheriff Sally Hernandez said:

"The housing units were not designed to handle this many violent offenders. It’s a serious challenge for TCSO because while we may technically have a bed available, that doesn’t mean we can put someone in it. We cannot put a maximum-security inmate into a minimum-security housing unit."

What they're saying:

Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock is not surprised by the large number of violent offenders in the county jails, or that most are still awaiting trial.

"We may not be able to arrest ourselves out of the problem, but I certainly think we can prosecute ourselves out it," said Bullock.

The problem in the jail could be linked to a judicial disconnect.

"There just seems to be no sense of accountability that's actually happening once we book somebody into the jail and the follow-through, which, in our experience, is just leading to people committing more crime and more of the same crimes, or increasing in violence where they may not have before," said Bullock.

By the numbers:

FOX 7 Austin requested a one-day snapshot of the Travis County Jail population. The following data was sent by TCSO:

• On Sept. 25, 2025, there were 134 inmates charged with murder. In 2015, there were 42 inmates charged with murder.
• On Sept. 25, 2025, 434 inmates were facing charges of aggravated assault. The majority were armed with a deadly weapon. In 2015, that population count was 276.

Local perspective:

Roman Ramos has seen the damage those numbers can represent.

"I do believe that it's starting to get a little bit rough," said Ramos.

On Monday morning, Ramos found the body of a woman near the garage where he works. FOX 7 was told that security camera video shows a blue sedan driving into a field off of Hwy 183 near Lamar and the woman was dumped there. The incident reminds Ramos of the violent days back in Austin back in the early 80s.

"But growing up, seeing all the crimes that go on, I feel like people should man up, or own up, to the crimes that they did. I feel like Austin should just come down on the crime," said Ramos.

An arrest in this case will take up another cell and add to the growing judicial waiting list. Courthouse backlogs and procedural missteps have already resulted in cases being dismissed or pleading down to lesser charges.

"If the prosecution did their job, if punishments were appropriate and where someone is harmed, where there is physical harm to another person, there is severe enforcement and punishment for those things, then I think you can prosecute your way out of these problems. Because that means that the system is actually holding people accountable," said Bullock.