Community Corner
Coronavirus: Travis County Inmates Released Amid Illness Spread
In what the district attorney called a 'historic agreement,' some low-level felony offenders will be released immediately amid COVID-19.
AUSTIN, TX — Calling the move as a "historic development," Travis County officials on Tuesday said Tuesday they would allow inmates charged with low-level, non-violent felony crimes to be automatically released from jail on personal bond due to the spread of new coronavirus.
The order for personal bonds is the result of numerous meetings and discussions among the Travis County criminal justice stakeholders, officials said in press advisory. Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore and Travis County Attorney David Escamilla played a significant role in the development of this policy, officials said.
Officials described the types of offenders eligible for immediate release as those charged with possession of a controlled substance, credit or debit card abuse, prostitution, theft and other low-level felony crimes. Officials stressed the measure was under consideration before the COVID-19 crisis emerged. Although the impact of the order will hopefully have a positive effect on the number of persons introduced into the jail population, officials noted, discussions about the order had been underway for weeks.
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Officials noted there are exceptions to the new order on low-level felonies. They include people who are charged with a new offense while on pre-trial release, have a warrant for failing to appear in court or a bond forfeiture, or have a parole revocation, among others, officials said..
"With the entry of this standing order, Travis County is at the forefront of reforms to minimize incarceration while still ensuring the safety of the public,"Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore said in a prepared statement. "It is particularly significant to implement this policy now, when we are all laser-focused on preventing the introduction of COVID-19 into our jail."
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The order comes on the same day that a shelter-in-place order was issued for the Austin region, including Williamson County, in an effort to flatten the curve the rate of illness in the area. Austin Public Health officials upped the coronavirus illness count in Travis County from 86 on Monday to 96 on Tuesady.
