Funding needed to address huge increase in defendants under pre-trial supervision
Robert Arnold, Investigative Reporter
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HOUSTON – The number of people released on bond prior to trial and under the county’s supervision has grown at a quick pace since 2017. So much so, the number of defendants now under supervision is overwhelming county resources.
“At the end of the day, this is a public safety issue,” said Precinct 4 Commissioner R. Jack Cagle. “How do we make sure that the public is safe?”
The county’s Pre-Trial Services department provides information to felony and misdemeanor courts to help judges make decisions on a defendant’s release prior to trial. This department then monitors those defendants to make sure they’re following court orders such as GPS tracking or drug and alcohol monitoring. Felony court Judge Chris Morton calls these non-monetary conditions of release.