Abilene, TX – And he has been saying that for months. Texas is no longer restricted by the coronavirus pandemic. Face mask mandates are gone, and people are crowding back into businesses and public places.
But, unfortunately, there is one crucial government function the Republican governor has kept limited since he declared a public health disaster last March – the release of people from Texas county jails.
Abbott’s controversial order aims to stop the release of any criminal defendant accused or previously convicted of a violent crime on a no-cost bond, meaning such defendants would only get out of jail in the pandemic if they could afford money bail.
It also disallowed those serving short, misdemeanor sentences from being released early for good behavior, a common practice in county jails.
The order’s legality has long been questioned, and at least several local courts have found it unconstitutional – leading to a patchwork implementation.
Abbott issued his emergency order last March as Texas counties sought to combat the pandemic by lowering their jail populations – where the risk of the coronavirus was particularly high given poor sanitary conditions and close quarters. At the time, Abbott said the order was to prevent mass releases from jails.
