Council forms criminal justice committee

San Marcos is set to explore possibilities for changes in the city’s criminal justice system.

At its meeting Tuesday night, the San Marcos City Council voted to create a criminal justice committee with council members Ed Mihalkanin, Mark Rockeymoore and Lisa Prewitt looking for what Mihalkanin said would be “different possibilities for action” that could bring more equity to the way the city handles crime.

“There has been a substantial conversation not only in Texas but throughout the United States about different issues concerning arrests versus ticketing, bail amounts, incarceration, its effects on lower income people, what is the budget effect on municipalities,” Mihalkanin said. 

Mihalkanin, who asked that the item be put on the agenda, said he would like to see a committee created and some kind of proposition for changes made by perhaps early August.

Prewitt noted that the county has undertaken a similar effort.

“The county had worked on this in 2010, I think the fire went out, and it’s been rejuvenated,” she said, adding that she would want to make sure the city and county work together on criminal justice reform efforts. 

Prewitt mentioned San Marcos resident Faylita Hicks, whose story of spending 45 days in the Hays County Jail while awaiting trial for a $25 bad check is drawing attention to the criminal justice system in Hays County and has become part of the conversation about reform.

“I hope the conversation turns into action, though – it doesn’t wait nine more years,” she said.

Mihalkanin said he would like the commission to look at the city’s standard operating procedures and ordinances and “see if there’s something that we’ve been overlooking that could make a huge difference in people’s lives.”

Council member Joca Marquez said she would like to see the committee look at cite and release programs and the expansion of acceptable forms of identification – something that could benefit immigrants and the homeless.

“I can guarantee you,” Rockeymoore said, “that nobody on this dais has had as much experience with law enforcement, on the other side of it, than me.”

Rockeymoore said that numbers cited in discussions of criminal justice reform are abstract to many people but, “It’s not abstract for me. It’s my life.”

Mayor Jane Hughson said that the idea of looking at the city’s ordinances and procedures is “the beginnings of a charge. I think it would be great if the committee could come back and refine that charge.”

Mihalkanin said he hopes the committee will be able to present ideas to council in August in case there are any proposals that might affect the budget year that starts in October.