Hays County has taken significant strides in reforming its criminal justice system but more needs to be done. That was the general consensus of the county’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, which met for the first time in six months last week, albeit virtually.
District Attorney Wes Mau said he believed there are “clear advantages” to the establishment of a Public Defender’s Office after hearing a presentation by the Texas Indigent Defense Council (TIDC). However, such a move would “almost certainly bring with it a higher cost to taxpayers — so the question for me is how much benefit for the expense?”
“The real question here is do we invest our tax dollars in incarceration or fair representation,” said Jordan Buckley, a founder of the Mano Amiga group that has been active on issues of jail reform and immigration.
