Brittany Kelley
SAN MARCOS — The Hays County Commissioners Court voted to approve a new contract to reduce the number of inmates outsourced to Haskell County at its July 8 meeting. Additionally, it unanimously voted to appeal the ruling deeming the 2024 road bond invalid.
Prior to the item discussion by commissioners, several community members took to public comments to express their concern with the outsourcing contract and wanting a full cancellation all together. One of whom was resident Myles Martin, who explained his experience with Haskell.
Martin explained that he was in jail for three years, where he was sent to other facilities nine separate times, amounting to only 22% of his incarceration actually spent inside the Hays County Jail.
“Going to other counties is dangerous in some cases. There were times where I was beaten for being from Hays County. Other times, I was discriminated against because of my race and treated unfairly,” he shared, stating that he was put into solitary confinement and was only allowed to use the phone at 3 a.m.
Being in a different county caused him to lose part of his support system and put stress on his mother, who would often call the Hays County Jail, asking where her son was, only to be met with “I don’t know.”
He emphasized the upset the experience caused, as Martin would find the community he was comfortable in ripped away in a matter of seconds, as guards would suddenly walk in and give him five minutes to pack up everything and move locations.
“I think the Haskell County contract is not only detrimental to justice, but also a burden on the families who who go through emotional turmoil,” Martin said. “Some may think, ‘These people are criminals. Why should it matter?’ I am here to inform you — I am here to inform the court — that not all of these people are criminals and I am living proof of that. In 2022, after three years of blood, fear and tears, I was found not guilty by a jury after a four-day trial. Please move to cancel this contract.”
Mano Amiga representative Eric Martinez also spoke, stating that the contract sends hundreds of inmates to a for-profit facility, which not only outsources incarceration, but accountability. He stated that the county would be required to pay a set amount, whether the beds are filled or not: “That’s a bulk rate subscription to incarceration that discourages decarceration and drains public resources. Even worse, this contract limits transparency. The county is blocked from inspecting LaSalle's internal records … LaSalle can object to public information requests and any legal claims must be filled in Haskell County, not here in Hays County. That is just not inconvenient, it is deliberately isolating.”
Providing history on the agreement was Brett Bailey, Hays County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy, who stated that three years ago, HCSO was struggling to make ends meet and had inmates outsourced throughout the state. One of these facilities was in Haskell.
One of the reasons Bailey supports Haskell, he continued, was that many individuals who were outsourced had few grievances, as compared to other facilities. Despite this, Bailey acknowledged that outsourcing is a polarizing topic. So, when Hays County Sheriff Anthony Hipolito took office, he told him to get the inmates back, said Bailey.
According to commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe, she sponsored the item because she felt as though it provided a plan to “fulfill our goal and commitment to bring our inmates back to Hays County.” Ingalsbe stated that there are currently 200 inmates outsourced in Haskell, but that 100 are set to be sent back to Hays.
“We are bound by jail standards and we have to have enough beds to put the incarcerated individuals and we have to have the ratios and the personnel, all of those things. Thanks to the direction we’re moving, we are making headway on all of those areas. We are on track to finish our renovation prior to Oct. 1. We are on track to get that 100 back,” said Bailey.
For Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra, he stated that he has always been in disagreement with the outsourcing as it is a "bad look" on the county and does not offer the inmates the treatment they deserve. So, he expressed that he has been grateful for the new lead the HCSO administration has been taking to solve this issue.
“I’m responsible for every beating heart in Hays County — wherever they are — whether it be in H-E-B or in our jail. It doesn’t matter; I have a duty to them,” emphasized Becerra. “Although it’s not where I want to be, I understand that 100%, I also see the good faith effort on your part on many fronts.”
Commissioner Walt Smith looked at the contract from a financial perspective, stating that it is cheaper to keep inmates in Haskell at $95 a day, versus an estimated $135 a day in Hays County.
“[I] think that we have to be cognizant of what those other costs are in the jail. Just make sure you walk through the budget process this year, that we truly do understand that we might need X number of additional cooks, X number of additional intake personnel,” said Smith, adding utilities, janitorial staff and more to his list. “I have never been satisfied, since I have been here, as to what all of those sunk costs are on the jail … I think getting a much better idea of that as we go into the budget process would be really helpful.”
According to Bailey, in April 2026, an additional 25 inmates would be brought back, with another 25 coming back in October 2026, leaving 50. From there, the final 50 would return in 2027.
“We have built in an opt-out option at the end of the first year, Oct. 1 of next year, if we have the beds, if we have the personnel and the means to do so, we can give Haskell and LaSalle [Corrections West] a 30 day notice and bring back all of the inmates,” Bailey explained.
In response to the odds of bringing the inmates back by October 2026, Bailey stated that the space would not be an issue — as there would be 562 inmates, including the 200 from Haskell, which is around where they need to stay at — it would be whether the personnel needed is available.
Regarding statements made by those in public comment, Becerra requested that staff look into the concerns, such as how family members or inmates can file complaints at Haskell.
The new contract, which will reduce the number of Hays County inmates in Haskell County was approved unanimously. To listen to the discussion, visit bit.ly/4lpC9aE.
Additionally, the court considered an item to establish a Citizen Transportation Task Force for Road Improvements and Prioritization.
Becerra shared that he brought this item forward as the county’s road bond was deemed invalid “on the way an agenda item was written.” So, this task force would allow concerns and issues to be addressed, while engaging the community, since the county is committed to building the roads.
Among speakers in support of this item were Kyle City Council members Robert Rizo and Michael Tobias, who stated that the city of Kyle is in support of the item and building roads throughout the county, as safety is a priority.
Ultimately, the item was tabled.
Regarding the overturning of the bond, the court voted 5-0 to pursue and file an appeal of the ruling.
“The voters to me spoke clearly, voiced their opinion on us moving forward on the bond election and improvements to our roads and I think that we need to move forward with an appeal,” said Ingalsbe.
Commissioner Michelle Cohen agreed, stating that the residents wanted these roads, especially those in the east side: “This is beyond just a road bond being voided. This is about thousands of voters’ voices being overturned. I want to fight. I want to fight this and I think our constituency wants us to fight this, the cities want us to fight this, so I think the appeal is the way to go.”
The Hays County Commissioner Court will meet next July 29.
