Georgetown Edition | February 2026

Government

Youth felony diversion program reduces arrests A first-of-its-kind study of the Williamson County Transformative Justice Program shows a reduction in arrest rates and jail time, according to a county news release. Researchers with Texas A&M University’s Public Policy Research Institute presented the study and findings at a Feb. 3 Commissioners Court meeting, and commissioners authorized the district courts to apply for grant funding for the program for

City gets federal funding for waterline A planned 3-mile waterline along CR 255 will help serve about 25,000 water cus- tomers in northwest Georgetown, officials announced at a Jan. 29 press conference. The details The CR 255 waterline project includes the construction of a 30-inch diameter line con- necting to Georgetown’s Daniels Mountain water storage tank, and to tie into an existing 30-inch waterline on CR 289 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard, Georgetown Communica- tions Manager Keith Hutchinson said. U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, announced $3.5 million in federal funding will be dedicated to the $10.6 million waterline project. The city will pay for the remaining $7.1 million.

Those who graduated from the program were: The outcome

48% less likely to get arrested

61% less likely to be arrested for a felony

They also spent about 36 fewer days in jail on average, and 80% of graduates had fewer misdemeanors and felonies than nongraduates.

SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

seeks to address the risk factors that cause emerg- ing adults to commit and recommit felonies. The impact The study shows those who participated in the program were 35% less likely to get arrested. Sixty percent of those who participated in the program graduated, and those who stayed through the first 200 days were more likely to graduate. Before this program, 75% of emerging adults were rearrested within three years of their first arrest, District Attorney Shawn Dick said.

fiscal year 2026-27. About the program

Launched in 2020, the Transformative Justice Program is a felony-diversion program for youth and emerging adults. The program is geared toward 17-to-24-year-olds who have committed a felony, an age group that is overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Using personalized support plans, the program

YOU SET GOALS We set standards

Orthopedic care that keeps you moving

Whether you need joint replacement or reconstructive surgery, Ascension Texas Orthopedics is here to help you go further. To set new goals, then exceed them. With robotic-assisted technologies, fellowship-trained surgeons and comprehensive care teams, we take care of your bones and joints so you can focus on what’s next.

Find out what your joints are telling you. Scan the code to take a short quiz.

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM