A push to reduce incarceration rates in Texas has increased the emphasis for jail alternatives and community supervision.
As of November 2017, over 145,000 inmates have been incarcerated in Texas jails or prisons, many of whom for substance abuse-related offenses.
Otherwise known as probation, community supervision is a necessary piece of the criminal justice system. It serves as an alternative to incarceration while providing accountability, monitoring of court orders and rehabilitative services.
The Williamson County Community Supervision and Corrections Department supervises and monitors both misdemeanor and felony offenders for the county and district courts.
The department currently monitors 4,027 offenders ordered to community supervision in lieu of incarceration. For the taxpayer, this is the better bet. It costs an average of $80 to $120 daily per person in a county jail or prison, while probation costs less than $3 daily per person.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice now requires the county corrections department to utilize nationally recognized best practices to qualify for diversion program grants. The department receives diversionary grants from the state department’s Community Justice Assistance Division.
The emphasis on prison diversion is working. Over the past few years, seven Texas prisons were no longer needed and closed.