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Ashley Walton cites jail-based programming and grant-funded transport to link people to services
Summary
Ashley Walton described developing programming for 17-year-old residents in the Travis County jail, scenario-based mental-health officer training, and a Transit Empowerment grant used to provide rides (Lyft) to help people reach treatment, court and stabilization services.
Ashley Walton described a range of operational efforts tied to jail programming and diversion: designing 17-year-old programming within the jail, developing scenario-based jail mental-health officer training with actors, and using a Transit Empowerment Fund grant to provide rides to treatment and services to people who otherwise lacked reliable transportation.
"We provided Lyft services for people ... and I would watch the car move around and see that they dropped them off," Walton said, describing a small pilot that supported treatment referrals and court appearances. She also noted training and conferences that brought stakeholders together to improve reentry and diversion coordination.
Commissioners asked what success in the role would look like; Walton and other candidates urged clear project planning, asset mapping and measurable milestones to turn conversations about diversion centers into operational plans. The court deferred the hiring decision to executive session.
