Approximately 450,000 Texans are on probation. Revoked felony probationers account for 37 percent of prison intakes and 41 percent of state jail intakes, resulting in approximately $600 million in incarceration costs. Although three times as many Texans are on probation as in prison, 10 state dollars are spent on the prison system for every dollar spent on probation.
Local Government
Growing Pains: The Cost and Contribution of Impact Fees in Texas
Texas’s rapidly growing population requires new infrastructure and improvements, which oftentimes come at great expense. To fund these projects, local officials often impose impact fees on new development—but their use comes at a cost. Key points: Texas is the fastest-growing state in the nation. As such, it has robust infrastructure requirements. To help finance capital...
August 12, 2026