Ryan James Postoak, 34, died in custody at the Bexar County jail, marking the tenth inmate death this year.
SAN ANTONIO — Another inmate died last week at the Bexar County jail, bringing the total deaths of 2025 to ten.
The sheriff’s office said 34-year-old Ryan James Postoak died while in custody last Friday.
They believe Ryan Postoak likely died from a medical episode, complicated by withdrawal symptoms – exemplifying some problems the jail faces.
In the ongoing advocacy for inmates who die while in the Bexar County jail, a grieving Bexar County mother spoke in May in front of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
“I want to know what this agency is doing to prevent these deaths – I know you gave our jail two non-compliances, but that’s not enough,” she said.
Her son’s death at the Bexar County jail is one of over 100 in the last decade.
On Friday, Postoak’s cellmate alerted deputies Postoak was having a seizure.
BCSO responded, trying to save him, but Postoak died just before two in the morning.
The sheriff’s office says Postoak suffered a medical episode, “compounded by withdrawal symptoms.”
He was booked the day prior for a DWI and damaging a vehicle.
“There is no standardized detox protocol in county jails,” Co-founder of Texas Jail Project Krish Gundu said.
Gundu advocates for better care in jails across Texas, pushing for standards and operations to save lives.
“And so the minimal standard we have in place – they are floor-level standards – so, they are not enough to keep this population safe,” Gundu added.
Sheriff Salazar implemented “Operation Lifeguard” to increase inmate health services as a response to these kinds of deaths in the past.
In April, after two deaths within days of each other, the department said,” We will become more stringent on who we medically accept into our facility. These people would be much better served in a robust medical facility, rather than what we can offer in the jail.”
KENS 5 did not get a response from Sheriff Salazar.
University Health, which operates the medical facility in the jail, responded to KENS 5 with the following statement:
Upon booking into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, incarcerated individuals are assessed, managed, and treated for substance use disorder, intoxication, or withdrawal. Individuals exhibiting or reporting signs of withdrawal are managed by qualified health care professionals. For identified patients, a medically supervised withdrawal management program is assigned that includes medications and supervision by a medical provider to properly manage and substantively mitigate symptoms of withdrawal. The purpose of our withdrawal program is to reduce or eliminate physiological dependence on substances and alleviate adverse physical effects incident to withdrawal.