Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX (July 24, 2019) – On Tuesday the Hays County Commissioners Court proclaimed July 21-27 as Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Officers’ Week in Hays County and recognized the Community Supervision and Corrections Department (CSCD) for serving Hays, Caldwell, and Comal counties for 50 years. In 1969 the Sociology Department at what was then Southwest Texas State University – now Texas State University – in San Marcos provided grant funds to initiate rural probation services in the three counties.
Although the 71st Texas Legislature changed the term Adult Probation to Community Supervision and Corrections in 1989, services provided by the CSCD are often still referred to as Adult Probation. The CSCD engages in early identification and intervention of violating behavior, employs incentive and sanction-based supervision, and seeks to meet the needs of historically underserved communities through collaboration with community-based resources.
The CSCD serves the criminal courts and is an essential part of the justice system, advocating for community and restorative justice. CSCD personnel are dedicated and knowledgeable public servants at the forefront of public safety who work continuously to improve the justice system so that there will be fewer crime victims. The CSCD uses data-driven and research-based decision-making and is committed to reducing revocations through application of evidence-based practices.
The CSCD provides rehabilitative services by targeting the criminogenic needs of the offender population and helps offenders overcome challenges so they can become productive, law-abiding members of the community.
The CSCD is neither a department of Hays County nor an agency of the State of Texas – the department is part of a special purpose district of state government organized to provide services to the judiciary. Statutorily, the County is responsible to provide physical facilities, equipment, and utilities for CSCDs. Hays County provides space to the CSCD at the Government Center in San Marcos as well as in County buildings in Kyle and Dripping Springs. The County of Hays also reimburses the CSCD for pretrial bond officers.