HAYS COUNTY, Texas — It took a regular session, then two special sessions and a state Democrat walkout before conservative lawmakers finally passed a laundry list of bills, including a massive restructuring of the state's cash bail system.

Part of the reform includes a ban on charitable organizations bailing out private citizens from crowded jails. 

What You Need To Know

  • A massive restructure of the state's cash bail system includes a ban on charitable organizations bailing out private citizens from crowded jails

  • Groups like Mano Amiga are able to bail certain people out of jail while they wait for their court dates, but that will no longer be the case now that Texas lawmakers succeeded in passing the reform

  • Mano Amiga reviews cases before bailing anyone out to make sure the individuals they help have a support system in place to follow through on court dates

  • John Carmona says Mano Amiga’s help has gone a long way and that’s why he’s determined to share his story to raise awareness about the benefits of bail funds from charitable organizations

San Marcos resident John Carmona received bail assistance from Mano Amiga, a Hays County-based human rights group, at the height of the pandemic. He says turning his life around wasn’t an overnight effort nor has it been easy. He says a domestic dispute with his stepfather resulted in his arrest around Christmas last year.

During his time in jail, he found out about civic justice group Mano Amiga’s bail assistance program.

“I was in jail for two months, but after I called them it took a couple of days. I was out," said Carmona.

Groups like Mano Amiga are able to bail certain people out of jail while they wait for their court dates, but that will no longer be the case now that Texas lawmakers succeeded in passing the reform. 

“We all want safe communities, right? That's true. This isn't the way to do it… I think we're forgetting that people who have money who commit any kind of offense, regardless of whatever bond you have put on you, if you have money and you can afford that then that kind of flies in the face of the argument that we are 'protecting the public' because we're really only 'protecting the public' from people who are poor that commit these crimes," said Mano Amiga co-founder Karen Munoz.

Mano Amiga reviews cases before bailing anyone out to make sure the individuals they help have a support system in place to follow through on court dates.

“We have an incentive to do that because if the person shows up to court we get that money back," said Munoz, who added that the money gets applied to other eligible inmates.

For his part, Carmona says Mano Amiga’s help has gone a long way and that’s why he’s determined to share his story to raise awareness about the benefits of bail funds from charitable organizations.

“These guys really helped me out a lot. Because of them I'm able to get out. I'm able to get a good job...I have a good place to stay. My daughter's happy to see me. I'm happy with her. Everything's great. You know what I mean? And it's because of these guys because - if it wasn't for these guys, I would still be incarcerated right now. Guess how many times they’ve reset my court date? Twice,” said Carmona, who credits Mano Amiga's intervention for his second lease on life. 

“It gives us a fighting chance...to fix the wrong," he said.

For Carmona, this is a rare second chance, not just for himself but for his family.