Program successful in reducing Hays County inmate population

Hays County officials said the formation of the Hays County Judicial Services Department has successfully reduced the number of pretrial inmates in the county jail. 

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Hays County officials said the formation of the Hays County Judicial Services Department has successfully reduced the number of pretrial inmates in the county jail.

In July 2022, 83% of inmates in the county jail were held with no conviction. As of Feb 7, the number has gone down to 76%. 

“Overall, the effort of this department is to help process people [who] had just been recently incarcerated and create alternatives to keeping them in jail before their day in court,” said Hays County Judge Ruben Bucerra. 

“They work closely with other community efforts and programs so that we could see if there's a better route instead of keeping them in jail waiting for their day in court,” he continued. 

76% is still high compared to the statewide average. A 2016 policy brief from the LBJ School of Public Affairs estimated that 62% of the entire state jail population was awaiting trial. 

The pretrial inmates who have been released from the county jail before their trial have already saved the county millions of dollars, according to a presentation given at the Hays County Commissioners Court on Tuesday. 

“At 30 days, our department saved the court roughly $1.1 million. At 45 days, $1.6 million, and at 60 days, 2.1 million. And then at 90 days, $3.2 million,” Jason Facundo, a supervisor with Judicial Services, told the court. 

Judge Becerra said he hopes the additional funds the county is saving through the pretrial services will allow them to stop outsourcing inmates to other jurisdictions – a policy that was started due to staffing shortages and overcrowded facilities. 

“My hope is that these dollars that we're saving can help me end that ridiculous contract, and allow people to move around in the community -- go to work, go to school, raise their families, and support our community as taxpayers,” Becerra said. “Because, very often, they could be found innocent, and we've wasted taxpayer dollars and days of someone's life they will never get back.”