The Travis County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) has issued a response to allegations made by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Austin regarding the treatment of individuals in their custody and their religious rights. The TCSO reaffirmed its commitment to respecting the religious expressions of arrestees, detailing their standard operating procedures to accommodate such needs.

In a statement, the TCSO outlined that arrestees are provided long-sleeved sweatshirts to cover their arms upon request, and these requests are fulfilled even when there is a high volume of detainees. For security reasons, individuals who wear head coverings are asked to remove them for inspection by officers of the same gender in private, after which they are allowed to put them back on. "Arrestees who asked for sweatshirts were accommodated," the statement read, acknowledging the time taken to provide for the unexpected number of requests.

According to the TCSO's statement, while Central Booking does not provide religious items initially, Chaplain Services offers religious materials upon request after an arrestee has been processed. The procedure for taking booking photographs allows those with head coverings to keep them on, but an additional photo without the head covering is taken in private for security documentation.

The TCSO emphasized its respect for the rights of everyone in its jail facilities, from arrestees to employees. It noted that women are offered a choice of feminine hygiene products and can access restrooms with soap freely in the Central Booking area. "Further, TCSO’s current operating procedure regarding booking photographs of individuals who wear a head covering is to allow them to keep their head covering on while fingerprints and booking photos are completed," the TCSO statement outlined, mentioning the separate photo stored securely with restricted access.

Confronting criticisms and calls for transparency regarding religious rights and the treatment of prisoners, the TCSO has expressed willingness to collaborate with organizations like the ACLU to further address concerns and improve the experience of individuals regarding religious expression in a jail setting. Kristen Dark, the Senior Public Information Officer for TCSO, affirmed, "TCSO adamantly respects the rights of everyone in its jail facilities, whether an arrestee or an employee, and welcomes offers from the ACLU and other organizations to collaborate on religious expression in a jail setting via an in-person meeting."