House Committee on Corrections - 86th R.S. (2019)

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.
Supporting documents
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Committee meeting handouts and testimony, February 6, 2019
Library Call Number:
Session: 86th R.S. (2019)
Online version: View document [64 pages  File size: 3,759 kb]
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Committee meeting handouts and testimony, February 14, 2019
Library Call Number:
Session: 86th R.S. (2019)
Online version: View document [75 pages  File size: 16,669 kb]
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Committee meeting handouts and testimony, March 7, 2019
Library Call Number:
Session: 86th R.S. (2019)
Online version: View document [56 pages  File size: 25,132 kb]
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Committee meeting handouts and testimony, March 14, 2019
Library Call Number:
Session: 86th R.S. (2019)
Online version: View document [46 pages  File size: 17,802 kb]
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Committee meeting handouts and testimony, March 21, 2019
Library Call Number:
Session: 86th R.S. (2019)
Online version: View document [62 pages  File size: 31,108 kb]
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Committee meeting handouts and testimony, April 4, 2019
Library Call Number:
Session: 86th R.S. (2019)
Online version: View document [42 pages  File size: 25,508 kb]
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Committee meeting handouts and testimony, April 18, 2019
Library Call Number:
Session: 86th R.S. (2019)
Online version: View document [14 pages  File size: 2,770 kb]
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Committee meeting handouts and testimony, February 28, 2019
Library Call Number:
Session: 86th R.S. (2019)
Online version: View document [13 pages  File size: 3,471 kb]

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