The continued practice of outsourcing Hays County inmates to nearby counties will continue even as the county so far has spent $1.5 million this year alone.

Approved by the Hays County Commissioners Court on Aug. 6 in a 4-0 vote, a new agreement will now outsource prisoners to neighboring Travis County. Currently, Hays County houses inmates in Bastrop, Bell, Burnett, Caldwell, Fort Bend, Guadalupe, McLennan and Walker counties.

This new agreement with Travis County could raise the amount spent on...