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31 Document(s) [ Subject: Probation ]

Committee: House County Affairs
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Alternatives to incarceration | Arrest warrants | Border security | County budgets | County employees | County jails | Court costs and fees | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Disease preparedness | Family violence | Fines | Jail population | Jail Standards, Texas Commission on | Mental health services | Mentally ill inmates | Municipal jails | Municipalities | Operation Lone Star (Border security) | Parole | Prison population | Prisons | Probation | Quarantines |
Library Call Number: L1836.87 C832
Session: 87th R.S. (2021)
Online version: View report [31 pages  File size: 781 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Review the existing and anticipated populations in state prisons and city and county jails located near the Texas-Mexico border. Make recommendations for alleviating or addressing any increase or over-crowding that may result as well as any other particularized needs or circumstances that have arisen or could arise as a result of an increase in population in correctional facilities, including, but not limited to, intake capacity, adequacy of facilities and other health and safety considerations. Make recommendations to mitigate any associated costs borne by border counties and municipalities. (Joint charge with Committee on Corrections)
2. Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:
  • HB 1545, 87th R.S., relating to the continuation and functions of the Commission on Jail Standards;
  • HB 1906, 87th R.S., relating to grants awarded to reimburse counties for the cost of monitoring defendants and victims in cases involving family violence; and
  • HB 2073, 87th R.S., relating to quarantine leave for fire fighters, peace officers, detention officers, and emergency medical technicians employed by, appointed by, or elected for a political subdivision.
3. Study statutorily mandated services provided by sheriffs and constables and determine whether fee schedules are set at sufficient levels to allow for cost recovery without placing undue burdens on recipients of those services.
4. For individuals in county jails and Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities, or on community supervision or parole, examine:
  • The availability of behavioral health services; and
  • The current treatment and recovery options available for those who are experiencing withdrawal from drug or alcohol use.
  • Make recommendations for best practices to address the needs of individuals requiring treatment. (Joint charge with Committee on Corrections)
Supporting documents
Committee: House County Affairs
Title: Committee meeting handouts and testimony, June 15, 2022 (Behavioral health services, treatment and recovery options)
Library Call Number:
Session: 87th R.S. (2021)
Online version: View document [8 pages  File size: 210 kb]
Committee: House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Border issues | Child support | Coronavirus | Court congestion | Family violence | Federal funds | Juvenile detention facilities | Juvenile Justice Department, Texas | Juvenile justice system | Operation Lone Star (Border security) | Probation | Protective orders | Unaccompanied minors | Undocumented immigrants |
Library Call Number:
Session: 87th R.S. (2021)
Online version: View report [42 pages  File size: 2,822 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Monitor the impact of children, including unaccompanied minors, crossing the Texas-Mexico border on the juvenile justice system, including gang violence. Identify any particularized services that children, including unaccompanied minors, will need and assess the costs of providing these services.
2. Examine current caseloads and capacity issues for courts handling matters related to the Texas-Mexico border. Evaluate the preparedness of the court system to handle increases in caseloads that may result from the border crisis response and make recommendations to ensure the continued fair and efficient administration of justice in the state in addressing any increased caseloads. (Joint charge with Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence)
3. Review the ongoing development of federal laws, rules, and regulations associated with the distribution of the federal pandemic recovery funds, including reporting requirements, and make recommendations to the House Committee on Appropriations for use of the funds to respond to the Texas-Mexico border crisis.
4. Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:
  • HB 4544, 87th R.S., relating to providing children committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department with certain documents on discharge or release, authorizing a fee.
5. Complete study of assigned charges related to the Texas-Mexico border issued in June 2021.
6. Examine obstacles to the reporting of domestic violence and how these obstacles contribute to the difficulty in obtaining and enforcing a protective order. Examine new technologies that could facilitate domestic violence reporting without putting victims at risk of further violence and harm.
7. Explore ways to modernize the juvenile justice system for youth on probation and incarcerated youth. Review statewide resource allocation, including available staffing, and identify potential geographic limitations. Investigate the best practices of smaller specialized facilities for youth committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department while leveraging the Department's current facilities and staff. Analyze the current gaps in county-level services and funding and make recommendations to address those gaps.
8. Examine workforce issues at state and local juvenile correctional facilities and consider the state's incentives to recruit quality staff. Consider the geographic areas where specialty providers are concentrated and the viability of opening specialized facilities for the state's youth with the highest therapeutic need to relieve the state's current rural facilities struggling with staffing. Consider consistent investments the state can make in local probation to encourage their facilities to divert youth from the juvenile justice system.
9. Study how child support is calculated and administered in Texas and how the Texas method compares to other states' plans for calculating child support, including identifying modern trends across the country for calculating child support. Consider how alternative methods for calculating child support affect each parents' share of responsibility for child support, health care, childcare, and other matters in other jurisdictions compared to Texas.
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Criminal justice | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Driving while intoxicated | Foster care | Homelessness | Parole | Prisons | Probation | Recidivism | Senior citizens | Veterans | Veterans Commission, Texas | Women inmates |
Library Call Number: L1836.86 C817
Session: 86th R.S. (2019)
Online version: View report [63 pages  File size: 2,182 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 86th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:
  • HB 374, 86th R.S., which relates to meetings or visits between a defendant on community supervision and a supervision officer. Monitor community supervision and corrections department rules regarding the scheduling of meetings or visits with a defendant placed on community supervision. Examine the process by which community supervision and corrections departments implement newly adopted policies.
  • HB 650, 86th R.S. and HB 3227, 86th R.S., which relate to the welfare of confined females within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). Monitor TDCJ rules regulating treatment of incarcerated women. Examine the process by which the department facilitates the educational, medical, and wellness needs of incarcerated pregnant women.
  • HB 1191, 86th R.S., which relates to an annual report concerning the number of inmates who have been in the conservatorship of a state agency responsible for providing child protective services. Monitor the TDCJ's collection of statistical information concerning the total number of inmates who have at any time been in the conservatorship of a state agency responsible for providing child protective services.
  • SB 1147, 86th R.S., which relates to conditions of community supervision for certain driving while intoxicated offenses. Monitor the implementation of the legislation and provide recommendations to improve access to treatment for defendants convicted of driving while intoxicated
2. Examine gaps in services and assess efforts to connect justice-involved veterans, senior citizens, and homeless populations to services while incarcerated and after release at both the local and state levels. Specifically, the committee should evaluate training and technical assistance provided by the Texas Veterans Commission to criminal justice agencies. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs)
3. Examine the current parole revocation warrant ("blue warrant") procedure. Specifically, the committee should consider the monetary costs to the counties; using Risk Assessment Instruments and the Offense Severity Scale to evaluate static and dynamic factors associated with an offender's record in order to escalate high-risk revocation offenders to the Department of Public Safety for immediate detention; and creating an online list providing the number of outstanding "blue warrants" pending per county.
4. Evaluate funding provided to the TDCJ for the repair, maintenance, and upgrade of prison facilities. Determine areas of the facilities that are in most need of repair, maintenance, or upgrade and examine the costs associated with such repairs, maintenance, or upgrades. Examine the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee's administration of Hepatitis C treatment and procedures. Review the Community Justice Assistance Division's current compliance practices and examine current funding formulas for adult probation departments. Study the TDCJ's ownership of real property not being used for prison facilities, including the amount of property owned and its highest and best use. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Appropriations)
5. Monitor the State Auditor's review of agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction. The Chair shall seek input and periodic briefings on completed audits for the 2019 and 2020 fiscal years and bring forth pertinent issues for full committee consideration.
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Alternatives to incarceration | Communicable diseases | Criminal justice | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Disease management | Disease preparedness | Disease prevention | Emergency management | Ex-offenders | Hot weather | Hurricane Harvey | Inmate lawsuits | Inmate sexual assaults | Natural disasters | Pardons and Paroles, Texas Board of | Parole | Prison Rape Elimination Act | Probation | Recidivism | Social workers | State jail system | Women | Women inmates | Youthful offenders |
Library Call Number: L1836.85 C817
Session: 85th R.S. (2017)
Online version: View report [75 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Evaluate the Texas Department of Criminal Justice response to Hurricane Harvey. Recommend any changes that could improve the operational stability of state criminal justice institutions following a natural disaster and changes that would allow for a more effective response.
2. Examine the use of social workers and peer support specialists in the Texas criminal justice system to assist individuals on probation, on parole, or who have been discharged, in order to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes. Identify best practices and make recommendations for legislative action.
3. Examine the current Texas criminal justice system policies and practices regarding 17- to 25- year-olds, specific to probation, parole, state jail confinement, and discharge from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or county jail. Review any gaps in services that may be causing this population to recidivate. Make recommendations to improve the state's response to the needs of this population in order to lower revocation, re-arrest, and re-incarceration rates.
4. Examine treatment options, services, and programs available to women in institutional settings, on community supervision, on parole, and in community-based programs. Make recommendations for best strategies to address the needs of women in the Texas criminal justice system.
5. Review the Texas state jail system. Examine its original intent, sentencing guidelines, effectiveness, and recidivism rates. Make recommendations for changes in the state jail system. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence)
6. Study policies and protocols within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Examine when protocols are implemented and their efficacy in protecting the health and safety of inmates and state employees.
7. Review assessments used by the Board of Pardons and Paroles and parole panels to determine an inmate's risk of recidivism for purposes of granting parole and the use of GPS technology to monitor offenders.
8. Monitor Texas prison system heat-related litigation currently making its way through the courts. Monitor Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) compliance within Texas state and county criminal justice facilities.
9. Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature.
Committee: Senate Finance
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Alamo | Alternatives to incarceration | Appropriations bill riders | Business taxes | Criminal justice | Delinquent taxes | Disaster relief | Driver Responsibility Program | Economy | Emergency medical services | Federal aid | Federal funds | Fees | General Land Office, Texas | Hurricane Harvey | Interest rates | Juvenile justice system | Legislative Budget Board, Texas | Natural disasters | Personal property taxes | Probation | Rainy Day Fund | State budget certification | State budgets | Tax refunds | Texas Emissions Reduction Plan |
Library Call Number: L1836.85 F49
Session: 85th R.S. (2017)
Online version: View report [64 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Monitor all funds currently being used to address Hurricane Harvey relief and recovery. Identify ways to maximize the use of federal funds and ensure the efficient use of state funds.
2. Evaluate the long-term impact of Hurricane Harvey on the Texas economy and the gulf coast region.
3. Alamo Historical Site Renovation: Monitor the expenditures of state funds appropriated to the General Land Office for the preservation, maintenance, and operation of the Alamo historical site. Ensure the funds are spent to emphasize the architectural design and the historical impact the battle had on the development of Texas as a nation and as a state.
4. Economic Stabilization Fund: Examine options to increase investment earnings of the Economic Stabilization Fund in a manner that mini mizes overall risk to the fund balance. Investment options should ensure the liquidity of a sufficient portion of the balance so that the legislature has the resources necessary to address the needs of the state, including natural disasters. Evaluate how the Economic Stabilization Fund constitutional limit is calculated; consider alternative methods to calculate the limit, and alternative uses for funds above the limit.
5. Texas Emission Reduction Plan: Review the Texas Emission Reduction Plan (TERP) and its economic benefits to the state. Examine whether the state's investment in TERP, including transfers from the Department of Transportation, are being effectively utilized to comply with federal air quality standards, reduce pollution, and protect the public health of Texans.
6. Request to Exceed Review: Review all riders requiring interim action by the Legislative Budget Board to reduce the number of times interim budget modification is necessary.
7. Fee Structure Review: Review state General Revenue - Dedicated fees and make recommendations to reduce fees and lessen reliance on General Revenue - Dedicated fee balances to certify the budget.
8. Adult and Juvenile Corrections Funding: Examine the funding patterns used to fund the juvenile justice system and adult probation departments. Develop recommendations to ensure the Texas Juvenile Justice Department budget does not dis-incentivize the use of cost-effective best practices such as diverting youth from the juvenile justice system, providing services to youth in their community, and keeping youth closer to home. In addition, review funding to adult probation departments and ensure it provides for an equitable distribution to all Texas Probation Departments.
9. Trauma Funding: Review revenue sources currently funding the state's trauma system and the impact of declining revenues and balances in General Revenue - Dedicated accounts. Evaluate the impact of statutory changes affecting trauma system funding, including efforts to eliminate the Driver Responsibility Program. Examine ways to ensure sustainability of the trauma system in Texas.
10. Property Tax on Business Personal Property: Evaluate the property tax as it applies to business personal property and the current $5oo exemption. Quantify the economic effect of taxing business personal property and determine whether the tax places Texas at a competitive disadvantage relative to other states. Evaluate the burden on taxpayers and local governments of administering the property tax on business personal property and determine whether the current $soo exemption should be increased.
11. Interest Rate Disparity: Evaluate the rate of interest charged on delinquent property taxes and delinquent state taxes, compared to the rate of interest paid on property tax refunds and state tax refunds. • Evaluate the effect of interest rate disparity on the assessment decisions of governments and the payment decisions of taxpayers. • Quantify the amount by which state and local governments profit from interest rate disparity. • Identify best practices among other states regarding interest rates charged and paid. • Recommend a plan and timeline to reduce interest rate disparity.
12. Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of the following funding initiatives: • CPS Critical Needs - Monitor the impact of salary increases and additional caseworkers allocated to Child Protective Services last interim. • Health Care Costs Across State Agencies - Monitor coordination efforts among state agencies to improve health care and reduce costs pursuant to Article IX, Section 10.06 and Section 10.07. • Behavioral Health - Monitor the state's progress in coordinating behavioral health services and expenditures across state government, pursuant to Article IX section 10.04, including the impact of new local grant funding provided by the 85th Legislatu re. • Sporting Goods Sales Tax - Identify state and local park needs and determine whether the Sporting Goods Sales Tax is meeting those needs.
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Administrative segregation | Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Texas Commission on | Bail | Court costs and fees | Criminal justice | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Drug enforcement | Drug rehabilitation programs | Expunction of criminal records | Fees | Illegal drugs | Inmate rehabilitation | Inmates | Pardons and Paroles, Texas Board of | Parole | Parole violations | Probation | Recidivism | State jail system | Substance abuse | Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facilities | Windham School District |
Library Call Number: L1836.84 C817
Session: 84th R.S. (2015)
Online version: View report [73 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Examine fees and revocations for those on probation and parole; examine effectiveness of fees imposed as a condition of probation and parole; study technical revocations in adult probation to identify drivers of revocations, disparities across the state, and strategies for reducing technical revocations while ensuring program effectiveness and public safety. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence)
2. Study recidivism, its major causes, and existing programs designed to reduce recidivism, including a review of current programs utilized by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and the Windham School District for incarcerated persons. Examine re-entry programs and opportunities for offenders upon release. Identify successful programs in other jurisdictions and consider how they might be implemented in Texas.
3. Study incarceration rates for non-violent drug offenses and the cost to the state associated with those offenses. Identify alternatives to incarceration, including community supervision, that could be used to reduce incarceration rates of non-violent drug offenders.
4. Study inmate release policies of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, including the release of inmates directly from administrative segregation. Identify best practices and policies for both the transitioning of these various inmate populations from the prison to appropriate supervision in the community. Identify any needed legislative changes necessary to accomplish these goals.
5. Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of the agencies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 84th Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the committee should: a. consider any reforms to state agencies to make them more responsive to Texas taxpayers and citizens; b. identify issues regarding the agency or its governance that may be appropriate to investigate, improve, remedy, or eliminate; c. determine whether an agency is operating in a transparent and efficient manner; and d. identify opportunities to streamline programs and services while maintaining the mission of the agency and its programs.
Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Asset forfeiture | Bail | County jails | Family violence | Fees | Indigent criminal defense | Innocence projects | Parole | Parole violations | Probation | Protective orders |
Library Call Number: L1836.84 C868
Session: 84th R.S. (2015)
Online version: View report [55 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Examine the feasibility of utilizing GPS monitoring in protective orders as a tool to help reduce family violence; study programs and identify best practices focused on the intervention and prevention of family violence and consider statutory changes needed to further deter the offense of family violence and domestic abuse.
2. Review pretrial service and bonding practices throughout the state. Examine factors considered in bail and pre-trial confinement decisions, including the use of risk assessments; assess the effectiveness and efficiency of different systems in terms of cost to local governments and taxpayers, community safety, pretrial absconding rates and rights of the accused. (Joint charge with the House Committee on County Affairs)
3. Examine the use of asset forfeiture in this state, including data reporting on forfeiture actions and procedures from seizure through forfeiture in both contested and uncontested cases. Make recommendations for improving these systems that balance law enforcement needs, private property rights, and government transparency.
4. Study the constitutional requirements and local practices for the appointment of counsel to indigent defendants and the operation of innocence projects at the state’s six public law schools. Compare different indigent defense plans and the innocence projects across the state and identify best practices for system management, including appointment methods and timing, cost effectiveness, timeliness of case disposition, compensation of counsel, quality of representation, and protection of procedural rights. Consider the effectiveness of each of the programs currently funded and the funding strategy as a whole.
5. Examine fees and revocations for those on probation and parole; examine effectiveness of fees imposed as a condition of probation and parole; study technical revocations in adult probation to identify drivers of revocations, disparities across the state, and strategies for reducing technical revocations while ensuring program effectiveness and public safety. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Corrections)
6. Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of the agencies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 84th Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the committee should: a. consider any reforms to state agencies to make them more responsive to Texas taxpayers and citizens; b. identify issues regarding the agency or its governance that may be appropriate to investigate, improve, remedy, or eliminate; c. determine whether an agency is operating in a transparent and efficient manner; and d. identify opportunities to streamline programs and services while maintaining the mission of the agency and its programs.
Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Alternatives to incarceration | Children's mental health | Criminal records | Deferred adjudication | Inmate rehabilitation | Internet | Jail population | Juvenile crime | Juvenile justice system | Juveniles certified as adults | Mental health services | Mentally ill inmates | Parole | Prisoner re-entry | Probation | Public information | Recidivism | Restorative justice | Rules of the Texas House of Representatives | State jail system | Statutory revision | Substance abuse | Texas Penal Code | Vandalism |
Library Call Number: L1836.83 C868h
Session: 83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version: View report [82 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study the classification of 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system of Texas.
2. Study the effectiveness of deferred adjudication and orders for non-disclosure in spite of the many exceptions to the statute. Study extending the use of expunction of criminal records history and non-disclosures to certain qualified individuals with low-level, non-violent convictions. Examine the statutorily allowed but underused non-disclosure and expunction of criminal records, and the use of deferred adjudication.
3. Study the impact of SB 1289, 83rd R.S.. Examine the sale of criminal histories that may be erroneous as well as the lasting impact that arrest records have on individuals who are arrested but not charged or convicted. Assess the need for revision of existing statutes and consider designating an agency responsible for regulating entities involved in the industry.
4. Examine the association between co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use disorders and parole revocation among inmates from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Review current policies and procedures for incarcerating individuals with a dual mental health diagnosis in both state and county correctional facilities and examine potential remedies within the State's criminal justice system to ensure that the public is protected and that individuals with a mental health diagnosis receive a continuum of mental health services. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Corrections)
5. Examine the current pecuniary loss thresholds associated with graffiti offenses. Study the costs of enhancing the penalties associated with the offense of graffiti, as well as a study of pretrial diversion programs that exist in other states and are specific to persons convicted of graffiti offenses. Study the existing Graffiti Abatement Programs in Texas.
6. Evaluate the approximately 1,500 non-traditional criminal offenses that can be found outside of the Penal Code. Study the feasibility of streamlining these offenses and examine ambiguities in the law. Study the existing use of the Rule of Lenity and Mens Rea requirements in Texas and the benefit of codifying both of these standards.
7. Examine the utilization of community supervision in state jail felonies and the effectiveness of the state jail in light of its original purpose.
8. Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of the agencies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 83rd Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the committee should: a. consider any reforms to state agencies to make them more responsive to Texas taxpayers and citizens; b. identify issues regarding the agency or its governance that may be appropriate to investigate, improve, remedy, or eliminate; c. determine whether an agency is operating in a transparent and efficient manner; and d. identify opportunities to streamline programs and services while maintaining the mission of the agency and its programs.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Alternatives to incarceration | Driving while intoxicated | Elderly inmates | Felonies | Inmate health | Juvenile crime | Juvenile justice system | Mentally ill inmates | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Probation | Texas Penal Code | Theft | Youthful offenders |
Library Call Number: L1836.83 C868
Session: 83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version: View report [85 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Review cases involving the imposition of probation rather than imprisonment or commitment for adult and juvenile intoxication manslaughter offenders. Make recommendations to ensure that intoxication manslaughter sentences include appropriate punishment levels, maintain public safety, and serve to deter driving under the influence.
2. Study the operations of the Texas prison system with respect to the medical and mental health care treatment. Study potential cost savings associated with identifying offenders with dual diagnoses and routing these individuals into appropriate services before, during, and after involvement with the criminal justice system. Study the way in which geriatric parole cases are currently evaluated and identify opportunities for reducing costs associated with the geriatric inmate population without compromising public safety.
3. Study and make recommendations related to jail diversion, reduced recidivism rates, and access to services for those within the system who suffer from a mental illness. Monitor the progress and implementation of the jail diversion pilot program for the mentally ill in Harris County and determine the best practices to be applied statewide.
4. Compile an inventory of all the juvenile specialty courts in the state, the juvenile population served, and the courts' program guidelines and practices. Identify gaps in services, geographically, by issue area, and juvenile population. Study the efficacy of each court through an analysis of recidivism rates and cost effectiveness and make recommendations regarding the best practices of juvenile specialty courts.
5. Study and make recommendations regarding sentencing of youth under 18 accused of committing serious crimes.
6. Study the value ladder of charges for theft and related offenses within the Texas Penal Code and recommend any necessary updates and proposed legislative reforms.
7. Evaluate the approximately 1,500 non-traditional criminal offenses that can be found outside of the Penal Code. Study the feasibility of streamlining these offenses and examine ambiguities in the law. Analyze whether and to what extent some of these non-traditional criminal offenses should be eliminated.
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: House Committee on Corrections, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2010 : a report to the House of Representatives, 82nd Texas Legislature
Subjects: Alternatives to incarceration | County jails | Juvenile justice system | Juvenile Probation Commission, Texas | Municipal jails | Prison population | Prisoner re-entry | Prisons | Probation | Recidivism | Women inmates | Youth Commission, Texas | Youthful offenders |
Library Call Number: L1836.81 C817
Session: 81st R.S. (2009)
Online version: View report [120 pages  File size: 1,618 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Examine implementation of the diversion pilot programs, juvenile case management system, and other policy and funding initiatives to determine whether the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission and the Texas Youth Commission have adhered to legislative directive in implementing these programs, and the impact of these programs on commitments at the Texas Youth Commission. Joint Interim Charge with House Committee on Appropriations
2. Study and evaluate the availability and efficiency of community-based corrections supervision and treatment programs and their impact on prison capacity and recidivism rates. Determine whether the supervision and treatment programs have been designed in accordance with evidence-based practices and whether adequate evaluation methods have been incorporated.
3. Study current re-entry programs and procedures across the juvenile and adult criminal justice continuum. Make recommendations to ensure that offenders who are released or discharged have the necessary supervision and access to employment, housing, treatment, and other support programs to allow successful entry and integration into the community. Evaluate the working relationship between state agencies facilitating re-entry and make recommendations on how to achieve greater efficiency and cost savings.
4. Examine policies and programs designed to identify, divert, and enhance the supervision and treatment of special needs offenders within local jails and state correctional facilities. Recommend changes to address appropriate alternatives to incarceration or institutionalization.
5. Review the range of services provided to females in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems and recommend changes to ensure responsiveness to gender-specific issues. Review should include institutional and community supervision programs and utilization of correctional facilities that house nonadjudicated populations.
6. Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction.
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: House Committee on Corrections, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2006 : a report to the House of Representatives, 80th Texas Legislature
Subjects: After school programs | County jails | Crime prevention | Criminal Justice Advisory Council | Criminal Justice Policy Council | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Criminally insane | Disciplinary alternative education programs | Drug rehabilitation programs | Elderly inmates | Inmate education | Inmate health | Inmate rehabilitation | Inmates | Juvenile crime | Juvenile justice alternative education programs | Juvenile justice system | Juvenile Probation Commission, Texas | Mentally disabled inmates | Mentally ill inmates | Prison population | Privately-operated prisons | Probation | Sex offenders | State employee turnover | Windham School District | Women inmates | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.79 C817
Session: 79th R.S. (2005)
Online version: View report [150 pages  File size: 34,034 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study the organizational structure of the department to determine if the current system is effectively and efficiently addressing the needs of all components of the criminal justice system in conjunction with the Sunset review of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) in 2007.
2. Examine the probation system and reforms debated during the 79th Legislature, including using strategies such as graduated sanctions and specialized courts for reducing revocations and recidivism. Study the organization and cost of our probation system and make recommendations about how to prioritize and strengthen general supervision.
3. Evaluate the correctional health care systems in other states as they compare to the Texas health care system, with a focus on greater accountability and competition among providers.
4. Assess the programming needs for special populations in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).
5. Review the operation and organization of the Windham School District.
6. Study the adequacy of the state accountability system in measuring the effectiveness of Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEPs) based on academic performance, behavior modification and percentage of students referred to the juvenile justice system. (Joint interim charge with the House Committee on Public Education.)
7. Study the effectiveness of prevention programs, such as after school programs, in reducing the actual indices of crime and the rate of young offenders entering the criminal justice system. (Joint interim charge with the House Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues.)
8. Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's oversight and monitor the Governor's Judicial Advisory Council.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: Interim report to the 80th Legislature
Subjects: Border drug trafficking | Border issues | Border security | Child abuse | Competency to stand trial | Inmate health | Mentally ill inmates | Methamphetamine | Non-citizen inmates | Privately-operated prisons | Probation | Pseudoephedrine | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.79 C868
Session: 79th R.S. (2005)
Online version: View report [69 pages  File size: 16,360 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study the resources and facilities available to offenders with mental health needs in the Texas criminal justice system. Provide an inventory of resources and facilities. Develop recommendations to better allocate existing resources and efficiently address the needs of this population.
2. Study the expenditure patterns and identify trends in the community supervision and corrections departments' use of state and local monies, known collectively as the Judicial Districts Trust Funds. Ascertain the percentages spent on direct supervision of probationers and identify notable policy decisions. Provide recommendations for improvements and methods of maximizing the use of these funds.
3. Examine the allegations of abuse and neglect within the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) facilities and the appropriateness of TYC response. Include an analysis of factors that may be affecting the safety of inmates and staff and make recommendations for Legislative actions to improve the safety of inmates and staff at these facilities.
4. Monitor the implementation of legislation relating to reducing the production and abuse of methamphetamine, including the predicted impact of methamphetamine's increased availability on state resources and criminal justice populations, and make recommendations for additional programs for further reductions in abuse and production.
5. Study and make recommendations for methods to reduce kidnapping and violence along the Texas Border, focusing on reducing drug-related crime.
6. Monitor the expenditure of funds for adult probation services dedicated to the lowering of revocations to state prisons and state jails. Examine the compliance with and effectiveness of associated budget riders and make recommendations for future funding needs.
7. Study the feasibility of the State of Texas establishing or contracting with a private prison facility in the country of Mexico in order to house non-violent Mexican Nationals currently being housed in Texas prisons.
8. Review other states' correctional health care systems and make recommendations, if necessary, for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of Texas' system.
Committee: Senate Jurisprudence
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: Senate Committee on Jurisprudence interim report : report the 80th Legislature
Subjects: Alternative dispute resolution | Child support | County courts | Court costs and fees | Court records | Court reporters | Debt collection | Fines | Guardianship | Legal fees | Probate courts | Probation |
Library Call Number: L1836.79 J979
Session: 79th R.S. (2005)
Online version: View report [121 pages  File size: 5,464 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Examine and make recommendations relating to the jurisdiction of statutory county courts, including the development of standardized language for Chapter 25, Government Code, to confer specific types of jurisdiction on statutory county courts and to ensure the statutes are clear and concise.
2. Examine and make recommendations to improve court oversight of fiduciaries appointed to make financial and personal decisions for wards as well as those appointed to administer an estate or trust.
3. Study and make recommendations relating to the use and cost benefits of electronic recording as an alternative method of preserving records of official court proceedings.
4. Monitor the implementation of SB 1863, 79th R.S., specifically the Collection Improvement Program, which seeks to improve the collection of criminal court fees, fines and costs. Make recommendations to increase the effectiveness of the Collection Improvement Program and determine if any statutory changes are necessary.
5. Study and make recommendations relating to the possible uses and need for statutory directives regarding the use of collaborative law procedures.
6. Review statutes, regulations, guidelines, and formulas relating to child support and make recommendations, if necessary, to ensure adequate support, including educational expenses, for children.
Committee: House Local Government Ways and Means
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: House Committee on Local Government Ways & Means, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2006 : a report to the House of Representatives, 80th Texas Legislature
Subjects: Air quality | Appraisal districts | County government | Disaster relief | Federal mandates | Homeland security | Indigent criminal defense | Indigent health care | Juvenile justice system | Probation | Property taxes | State mandates | Tax appraisals | Tax rollback elections | Undocumented immigrants | Water quality management |
Library Call Number: L1836.79 L786w
Session: 79th R.S. (2005)
Online version: View report [92 pages  File size: 23,908 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Review the current system of appraising property located in more than one appraisal district as created in HB 703, 78th R.S.. Determine if one fair and equal value per property for ad valorem taxes is preferable to the current system, and whether it is more efficient to appraise property on a county line basis or on a jurisdictional line basis.
2. Research and make recommendations regarding the Central Appraisal Districts in Texas: evaluate the makeup of the board of directors; examine whether consolidation of certain appraisal districts would save money; review appraisal districts' methodology in arriving at appraisal values; determine the impact of the Comptroller's Office audit on the operation of the appraisal district and its derivation of appraisal values.
3. Compare and evaluate how counties and school districts impose (levy) property taxes, including a study and evaluation on the effective tax rate, the rollback rate, and rollback elections.
4. Study the impact of unfunded mandates by state and federal governments on cities.
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: House Committee on Corrections, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2004 : a report to the House of Representatives, 79th Texas Legislature
Subjects: Criminal justice | Mentally disabled inmates | Mentally ill inmates | Parole | Privately-operated prisons | Probation | Sex offenders |
Library Call Number: L1836.78 C817
Session: 78th R.S. (2003)
Online version: View report [49 pages  File size: 2,742 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Review the effectiveness, efficiency and funding mechanisms of the community supervision and parole supervision systems. Examine accountability for various community supervision programs administered through local community supervision and corrections departments. Study the advisability, methods and costs of creating a progressive-sanctions model for the adult criminal justice system. (Joint interim charge with House Appropriations Committee)
2. Study targeted contracting and review strategies and initiatives in the prison system related to oversight, efficiency, effectiveness and potential cost-savings of contracted services by private sector vendors.
3. Study the Council on Sex Offender Treatment, including treatment methods and effectiveness and explore the possibility of licensing of registered sex offender treatment providers.
4. Study the criminal justice mental health initiative in coordination with the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments.
5. Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's oversight jurisdiction.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: Senate Criminal Justice Committee interim report to the 79th Legislature.
Subjects: Alternatives to incarceration | Crime Victims' Compensation Fund | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Drug courts | Identity theft | Law Enforcement, Texas Commission on | Parole | Parole violations | Police departments | Police officers | Prison population | Privately-operated prisons | Probation | Underage drinking |
Library Call Number: L1836.78 C868
Session: 78th R.S. (2003)
Online version: View report [95 pages  File size: 643 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study identity theft and its effects, and the impact of recent legislation addressing the issue (HB 2138, 78th R.S., SB 473, 78th R.S., and SB 566, 78th R.S.). Make recommendations for enhancing the Texas' ability to implement effective programs to prevent identity theft. Monitor federal legislation regarding identity theft to ensure that state and federal laws are complementary and make recommendations for improvements.
2. Study and identify best practices for probation and community supervision programs including: the Community Justice Assistance Division; local probation management structure; the use of Drug Courts and the courts' impact on recidivism; programs to reduce underage drinking; mental health issues and continuity of care; use of the Community Supervision Tracking System (CSTS) and other data issues related to Criminal Justice information system components; and the implementation of HB 2668, 78th R.S.. Make recommendations for legislative changes to achieve best practices.
3. Study the management efficiency and organizational structure of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, including implementation of recent restructuring by the TDCJ Board, and make recommendations on additional improvements, including possible consolidation of agency functions and other cost saving measures.
4. Study the use and effectiveness of current parole guideline policies and make recommendations for changes to improve the policies. Develop innovative options that improve efficiency and enhance safe and effective correctional policy.
5. Study and make recommendations relating to improving the use of specialized police agencies and officers, specifically, the necessity, accountability, qualifications, and jurisdictions of such police agencies.
6. Review the Crime Victims Compensation Fund (Fund), including state and local competition, use in state agency methods of finance, evaluation of grant programs, possible diversion of funds from crime victims as a result of prior legislation, and whether the Fund meets the objectives of its authorizing legislation.
7. Study the number of foreign citizens serving sentences in Texas prisons, including information relating to prison terms, recidivism, and types of offenses. Make recommendations for reducing the costs of providing prison services for this population, including leveraging of federal immigration funds and possible international agreements to pay home countries to transfer the prisoners to their respective countries to serve the remainder of their terms.
8. Study and make recommendations concerning the cost effectiveness and efficiency of private prisons, including private services performed at state-owned prisons.
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: House Committee on Corrections, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2002 : a report to the House of Representatives, 78th Texas Legislature.
Subjects: Alternatives to incarceration | Correctional officer shortages | Court costs and fees | Criminal justice | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Drug rehabilitation programs | Fines | Inmate health | Inmate rehabilitation | Inmates | Parole | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Prison reform | Probation |
Library Call Number: L1836.77 c817
Session: 77th R.S. (2001)
Online version: View report [40 pages  File size: 255 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study community supervision caseloads, the effect of officer-to-offender ratios and the impact of caseload reductions on revocations and incarceration costs to the state.
2. Study the quality and availability of residential facilities and the potential cost savings of enhanced residential sentencing alternatives to long-term incarceration.
3. Review the fees assessed on adult offenders and their impacts on community supervision and parole. Consider offenders' abilities to pay supervision fees and any impact on revocations of parole.
4. Study the delivery of healthcare within the Texas prison system, including the number and types of healthcare practitioners needed, the recruitment and retention of those practitioners, management of chronic diseases, and the use of telemedicine and other technologies.
5. Actively monitor the agencies under the committee's oversight jurisdiction. Specifically monitor the implementation of staffing and training programs at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and their effects on the safety of both inmates and staff.
Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2000 : a report to the House of Representatives, 77th Texas Legislature.
Subjects: Capital punishment | Community service (Punishment) | Criminal justice | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Drug rehabilitation programs | Expunction of criminal records | Inmate rehabilitation | Kidnapping | Mentally disabled inmates | Mexico | Prison population | Probation | Recidivism |
Library Call Number: L1836.76 c868h
Session: 76th R.S. (1999)
Online version: View report [219 pages  File size: 8,993 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Review criminal procedure issues concerning the detention and arrest of Mexican citizens in Texas and Texas residents in Mexico. Include issues surrounding the abduction of children into Mexico.
2. Examine the criminal procedure statutes in relation to the issue of record expungement for people who have had criminal charges filed against them and the charges were later dismissed.
3. Review the actions other states have taken in regard to execution of persons who are mentally retarded. Consider the effects on all aspects of the criminal justice system of laws that prevent or severely restrict executions.
4. Conduct active oversight of the agencies under the committee's jurisdiction.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report - Correctional institutions
Library Catalog Title: Interim report, 77th Legislature : charge five.
Subjects: County jails | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Inmate rehabilitation | Prison population | Prisons | Privately-operated prisons | Probation | State jail system | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.76 c868 5
Session: 76th R.S. (1999)
Online version: View report [44 pages  File size: 1,580 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. Review the statutory purpose of all adult and juvenile correctional facilities, whether state, locally or privately owned or operated, to recommend any needed changes in the statutory description or purpose. The review shall include facilities that are considered alternatives to incarceration or that are used for geriatric care. The Committee shall consider whether state jails are adequately managed, if adequate sanctions are available for confinees who fail to participate in programming or who cause disciplinary problems, and how to ensure effective rehabilitation programs in facilities.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report - Probation and parole compact
Library Catalog Title: Interim report, 77th Legislature : charge seven.
Subjects: Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervison | National Institute of Corrections | Parole | Probation |
Library Call Number: L1836.76 c868 7
Session: 76th R.S. (1999)
Online version: View report [79 pages  File size: 3,450 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. Review the Interstate Probation and Parole Compact proposed through the National Institute of Corrections, which is scheduled for release in December 1999. The Committee shall make a recommendation as to whether Texas should enter into the compact, considering the fiscal impact the compact may have on state, private, and local entities.
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: Committee on Corrections, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 1996 : report to the House of Representatives, 75th Texas Legislature.
Subjects: Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Deferred adjudication | Inmate health | Managed care | Parole | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Prison labor | Probation | Telemedicine | Wackenhut Corrections Corporation |
Library Call Number: L1836.75 c817
Session: 74th R.S. (1995)
Online version: View report [69 pages  File size: 3,420 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Conduct active oversight of agencies under the committee's jurisdiction.
2. Study the prison industries program regarding private sector employment of inmates.
3. Study the continuing implementation of the managed health care system within the prison system. Consider how tele-medicine networks developed for the prison system might benefit local citizens.
4. Review the need for changes in sentencing practices, the revocation of probation and the use of deferred adjudication.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: Interim report, 75th Legislature.
Subjects: Blood alcohol concentration | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Driving while intoxicated | Drug rehabilitation programs | Gun laws | Guns | Handguns - Registration | Inmate rehabilitation | Open container laws | Parole | Prison construction | Prison population | Privately-operated prisons | Probation | Public Safety, Texas Department of | Recidivism | Right to Carry Act | Services for persons with disabilities | Sex offenders | State jail system | Statutory revision | Substance abuse |
Library Call Number: L1836.74 c868
Session: 74th R.S. (1995)
Online version: View report [32 pages  File size: 1,664 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study and determine if there are any needed changes in the Driving While Intoxicated or related statutes, with a review of statutes in other states. This review should include, but not be limited to: the use of sobriety checkpoints; prohibition of open alcoholic beverage containers in motor vehicles; changing the blood alcohol threshold; and penalties for DWI offenses, including Intoxication Manslaughter.
2. Review present and future substance abuse treatment programs in community programs, correctional facilities, and parole programs, to determine the number of offenders requiring treatment in all stages of the criminal justice system, the facility and personnel requirements to effectively treat offenders and to provide necessary aftercare by the year 2002, including projections for the next two bienniums.
3. Review the progress of the state jails, including determining; (a) is programming available and effective for all state jail felons and if some are not receiving programming, why not; (b) is there effective programming in both the state operated and locally operated facilities; and (c) are programming efforts including preventing offenders from placing future demands on the criminal justice system.
4. Review alternatives to incarceration that will reduce the need for further prison expansion, while improving public safety in light of the demand for prison space, through the year 2002.
5. Review whether the Legislature should implement funding of the Department of Criminal Justice on performance of their efforts to reduce recidivism, including review of the Task Force on Recidivism.
6. Monitor implementation of SB 60, 74th R.S., Right to Carry Act, and develop legislation to address administrative problems encountered by the Department of Public Safety and any other problems that may be identified.
7. Review the cost and effectiveness of construction and operations, including programming, of Mode I and Mode II state jails, and any correctional facilities that are operated by private entities for use by the state, to determine which type of facility is the most cost effective to operate and which have the most effective programming and treatment, and to make recommendations to improve future operations, including cost effectiveness.
8. Study and make recommendations for any penal or criminal justice issues that are identified as problems in legislation passed in the 74th Legislative Session, including omissions and unintended consequences of the legislation or related statutes, specifically including review of the criminal offenses created in the Education Code that may or may not conflict with provisions of the Penal Code.
9. Review parole issues regarding sex offenders including available treatment and the statutory requirements as to which county the Parole Board may release an offender, to make recommendations for statutory changes, if any, that may be needed.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice, Interim
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: Report to the 73rd Texas Legislature / Senate Interim Committee on Criminal Justice.
Subjects: County jails | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Drug rehabilitation programs | Family violence | Inmate rehabilitation | Medically recommended intensive supervision | Money laundering | Parole | Prison construction | Prison population | Prison reform | Probation | Public Safety, Texas Department of | Ruiz lawsuit | Searches and seizures | Stalking |
Library Call Number: L1836.72 c868s
Session: 72nd R.S. (1991)
Online version: View report [270 pages  File size: 13,790 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. The Committee shall monitor the construction and location of additional prison beds authorized by HB 93, 72nd Legislature, 2nd Called Session.
2. The Committee shall study and monitor the use of funds appropriated for the prison and criminal justice system.
3. The Committee shall study and monitor the progress and impact of jail litigation in cooperation with the Attorney General's Office, including but not limited to HB 93, 72nd Legislature, 2nd Called Session.
4. The Committee shall monitor and oversee legislation enacted during the 72nd Regular and Special Called Sessions that was considered by the Standing Committee on Criminal Justice including legislative mandates, all Performance Audit Review Recommendations, adopted or otherwise, and any agency-initiated changes. The Committee shall determine whether the programs that are the focus of study are functioning as planned.
5. The Committee shall monitor implementation of sunset legislation.
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: Report of the Committee on Corrections, Texas House of Representatives, 71st Legislature : to the speaker and members of the Texas House of Representatives, 71st Legislature.
Subjects: Adult Probation Commission | Alternatives to incarceration | Corrections, Texas Department of | County jails | Criminal justice | Electronic monitoring of offenders | Parole | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Probation |
Library Call Number: L1836.70 c817
Session: 70th R.S. (1987)
Online version: View report [39 pages  File size: 1,538 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. To study the development of reliable statistics involving the entire criminal justice system capable of tracking individuals throughout all local and state components of the system.
2. To study shock probation and intensive supervision programs involving electronic monitoring.
3. To study sentencing practices in Texas and the feasibility of uniform sentencing guidelines for felony offenses with consideration of sentencing factors on the population of TDC and local jails, and on the costs of confinement.
4. To study areas for establishment of regional correctional facilities.
Committee: House Sentencing and Recidivism, Select
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: Report of the House Select Committee on Sentencing and Recidivism, 70th Legislature : to the speaker and members of the Texas House of Representatives, 71st Legislature.
Subjects: Adult Probation Commission | Alcoholism | Alternatives to incarceration | Corrections, Texas Department of | Crime victims | Criminal justice | Drug rehabilitation programs | Inmate rehabilitation | Pardons and Paroles, Texas Board of | Parole | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Prison population | Probation | Substance abuse |
Library Call Number: L1836.70 se59
Session: 70th R.S. (1987)
Online version: View report [32 pages  File size: 1,059 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Undertake a comprehensive study of state laws and procedures regarding sentencing and probation, the operation of correctional facilities, and parole and other supervised release.
2. Examine how the various state agencies involved in alcoholism and substance abuse treatment are coordinating their efforts with the criminal justice system at the state and local level to reduce recidivism.
3. Monitor implementation of provisions of the sunset renewal acts for the Texas Department of Corrections, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, and the Texas Adult Probation Commission
4. Review current laws relating to sentencing and recommend a revised sentencing structure that takes into account prison and jail overcrowding and current and projected rates of recidivism.
Supporting documents
Committee: House Sentencing and Recidivism, Select
Title: Interim report - Outline of revised system
Library Catalog Title: Outline of revised Texas sentencing system.
Library Call Number: L1836.70 se59o
Session: 70th R.S. (1987)
Online version: View document [56 pages  File size: 2,558 kb]
Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: To the Speaker and members, Texas House of Representatives, 69th Legislature: report / of the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, Texas House of Representatives, 68th Legislature.
Subjects: Alternatives to incarceration | At-risk youth | Juvenile crime | Juvenile justice system | Parole | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Prison population | Prison reform | Probation | Recidivism | Runaway children | Statutory revision | Texas Code of Criminal Procedure | Truancy | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.68 j979cr
Session: 68th R.S. (1983)
Online version: View report [126 pages  File size: 3,747 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. To oversee the expenditure of the $3 million appropriations to the Texas Education Agency earmarked for a program designed to keep trouble students, truants, etc. enrolled in a classroom situation. To follow the guidelines set up by TEA for the participating school districts.
2. To track the prison reform measures and see how they are being implemented, To determine the benefits derived from these measures, both in terms of recidivism and in terms of monetary savings.
3. To study the need/benefits of raising the jurisdictional age of TYC to age 21 from age 18 for certain instances when keeping the child past the age of 18 would be beneficial to child and/or society.
4. To look into alternative programs for youths who have committed status crimes, i.e.. truancy, running away from home, etc. To find alternatives to sentencing in TYC facilities for property offenders, as well as some minor non-property offenders.
5. To devise a policy to keep the Texas Penal Code standardized, so that specific crimes do not have separate forms of sentencing.
6. Study the need to reform the charging instrument in Texas; consider whether the state should be allowed to prosecute crimes other than capital offenses on the basis of an information rather than an indictment issued by a grand jury. *
7. Make recommendations regarding the non-substantive changes to the probation and parole laws currently found in Articles 42.12 and 42.13 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. *
Committee: House Law Enforcement
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: To the Speaker and members of the Texas House of Representatives, 69th Legislature : report / of the Committee on Law Enforcement, House of Representatives, State of Texas, 68th Legislature.
Subjects: Alternatives to incarceration | Halfway houses | Juvenile crime | Juvenile justice system | Pardons and Paroles, Texas Board of | Parole | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Probation | Restorative justice | Rural issues |
Library Call Number: L1836.68 l41
Session: 68th R.S. (1983)
Online version: View report [56 pages  File size: 1,216 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. To have oversight of the pre-parole program.
2. To have oversight of the restitution center program.
3. To monitor activities of the Board of Pardons and Paroles including rate of paroles and rate of releases under mandatory supervision.
4. To study alternatives to the current system with respect to 15 and 16 year old juveniles who commit serious felonies.
5. To study judicial sentencing and advisory sentencing guidelines.
6. To study rural law enforcement problems.
7. To study problems created for area residents in and around halfway houses which receive contractual monies from the budget of the Texas Department of Corrections and recommend.
Committee: House Security and Sanctions
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: To the speaker and members of the Texas House of Representatives, 68th Legislature : report of the / Committee on Security and Sanctions, Texas House of Representatives, 67the Legislature.
Subjects: Adult Probation Commission | Alternatives to incarceration | Corrections, Texas Department of | Halfway houses | Inmates | Jail Standards, Texas Commission on | Juvenile Probation Commission, Texas | Municipal jails | Pardons and Paroles, Texas Board of | Parole | Prison labor | Prison population | Probation |
Library Call Number: L1836.67 se26
Session: 67th R.S. (1981)
Online version: View report [92 pages  File size: 2,508 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Monitor the implementation of the statewide juvenile probation system as authorized by HB 1704, 67th R.S..
2. Monitor the Adult Probation Commission in regard to the effectiveness of pre-sentence investigations to divert people from the Texas Department of Corrections.
3. Monitor the organizational changes in the Board of Pardons and Paroles and the creation of new halfway houses as authorized by SB 125, 67th R.S..
4. Investigate overcrowding in the Texas Department of Corrections and examine alternatives for relieving this condition.
5. Examine the feasibility of paying a wage to inmates for the work they perform at the Texas Department of Corrections.
6. Study the feasibility of placing city jails under the authority of the Texas Jail Standards Commission and/or abolishing the Commission.
7. Evaluate present rules, regulations, and statutes regarding the parole process.
Committee: House Crime and its Control, Special Task Force
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: Report of the Special House Task Force on Crime and Its Control.
Subjects: Criminal justice | Good-conduct time | Mandatory supervision | Parole | Probation | Searches and seizures |
Library Call Number: L1836.64 c868
Session: 64th R.S. (1975)
Online version: View report [69 pages  File size: 2,139 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Prepare legislation directed to reducing crime in Texas as follows: 1. Deny probation to any person using a firearm during the commission of a felony offense. 2. Add-on punishment for persons who carry firearms while committing major felony crimes involving violence. 3. Recommending changes necessary to deny bail to persons who while free on bond for a felony offense, are accused of committing other offenses. 4. Permitting the state a limited right to appeal in certain circumstances in criminal cases. 5. Changing the law on confessions to permit a fuller use of oral confessions in Texas. 6. Permitting state use of wiretapping and other electronic tools to combat organized crime in the state.
2. Review the criminal justice system and determine if there are other approaches to solutions for problem areas in the system. *

* This represents an abstract of the report contents. Charge text is incomplete or unavailable.

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