Hays County to get public defender office

By Brittany Anderson

HAYS COUNTY — According to the Hays County Jail dashboard, 80% of the county’s total jail population are pretrial detainees — legally innocent people who are unable to afford their freedom — that can expect to spend a minimum of 30 days in jail, costing county taxpayers between $80 to $100 per inmate. 

Mano Amiga, a local nonprofit that works to organize systemic and cultural change, has spearheaded efforts to implement a Public Defender Office (PDO) in the county, which would streamline the judicial process for inmates by providing defense for those who are unable to pay the fees required to hire a defense lawyer and ensure everyone has timely access to legal counsel.