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Hays County judicial services reports higher pretrial releases and cost savings in 2025
Summary
Judicial Services presented 2025 statistics showing 733 new pretrial releases (up 25% from 2024), increased use of personal and surety bonds, GPS supervision expansion and fee collections; presenters estimated operational savings from device contracting and reduced jail days.
Hays County Judicial Services presented its 2025 annual highlights to the Commissioners Court on Feb. 24, detailing increases in supervised pretrial releases, monitoring and other community‑based practices aimed at reducing detention populations.
Director Jason Facundo said the office assisted in releasing 733 defendants on pretrial supervision in 2025, a 25% increase over 2024. Of those, 272 were released on personal bonds with conditions and 461 were released on cash or surety bonds. Facundo described a shift toward supervised release alternatives and cited an average housing cost of approximately $163 per inmate per day in county custody as a basis for his cost‑savings analysis.
Facundo and supervisor Jonathan Tapia also described operational savings from a county contract to procure GPS monitoring devices: a negotiated rate reduction from about $11.50 per device per day to $3 per device per day yielded roughly $117,000 in estimated savings for 2025. The presenters said pretrial diversion completion rates and other supervision success metrics were high, with a 94% success rate for a diversion program and strong appearance and arrest‑free rates among participants.
Commissioners thanked the team and asked questions about staffing and future program expansions. Jason Facundo said intake and additional staff positions approved in the FY‑26 budget will allow the office to complete more interviews and expand the department’s impact.
