Dallas County officials are beginning to overhaul their bond system to allow inmates to be released based on their risk level to the public instead of their ability to pay a bond.
Officials announced on Tuesday a plan to free more women locked up in Dallas County jail who are deemed low-risk to the public, the Dallas Morning News reports. The county hasn't chosen a risk assessment tool yet.
Assistant County Administrator Gordon Hikel says officials are focusing on women first because they're a smaller group with different needs. In the future, male inmates will also be eligible for release based on risk assessments, he says.
Officials also want to make sure that along with food and housing, the women are given educational resources and tools to better their lives once they’re released.
The Morning News reported last month that the number of women awaiting trial in Texas county jails has risen by nearly 50 percent since 2011.
The report resulted in top Dallas County officials focusing on the jail's more than 600 women.