SAN ANTONIO -- County commissioners said interim Sheriff Rolando Tafolla is interested in seeing low-risk inmates jailed in a tent city setting.

Bexar County commissioners Lyle Larson and Tommy Adkisson said housing low-risk inmates in a tent city would reduce jail overcrowding in Bexar County and save money.

Larson and Adkisson said former Sheriff Ralph Lopez was opposed to building a tent city jail, but now they have an opportunity with Tafolla's support.

The Bexar County Jail was built to house a population of 3,900 inmates, but, as of Tuesday, there are at least 4,100 inmates, according to authorities.

Nearly 500 inmates are classified as low-risk while an additional 700 are parole violators, authorities said.

Larson and Adkisson said the alternative jailing facility could free up space for more violent offenders.

Larson said he likes the economics of housing inmates in tents because they're cheap to build and run.

He said the tent city could bring the county a savings of $8 million a year.

Larson and Adkisson have toured other the tent city jails that they said are effectively working.

"It's working in Arizona, it's been working there consistently," Larson said. "Now the folks in Brownsville have it, and it's up and operating."

Adkisson said he likes the message tent city jails send to repeat offenders who use jails as a hotel.

"You're not going to sit around and watch color cable T.V. in an air-conditioned setting and just slam the system for your laziness," he said.

The commissioners said the tent city jail could be built on Applewhite Road, where the county's adult probation office is already housing inmates and running programs for non-violent offenders.

The commissioners plan to meet with Tafolla later this week.

If Tafolla supports the proposal, Larson and Adkisson said they could start building the tents within 90 days.