Subject search results

37 Document(s) [ Subject: Criminal Justice, Texas Department of ]

Committee: House Corrections
Title: Committee meeting handouts and testimony, June 15, 2022 (Behavioral health services, treatment, and recovery options)
Subjects: County jails | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Inmate health | Inmate rehabilitation |
Library Call Number:
Session: 87th R.S. (2021)
Online version: View report [96 pages  File size: 10,909 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. For individuals in county jails and TDCJ 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 County Affairs)
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 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: 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 Corrections
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Corsicana Residential Treatment Facility | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Inmate rehabilitation | Juvenile detention facilities | Juvenile Justice Department, Texas | Juvenile justice system | Mentally ill inmates | Pardons and Paroles, Texas Board of | Parole | Prison population | Privatization | Recidivism | School discipline | School district police | School safety | Substance abuse | Truancy |
Library Call Number: L1836.83 C817
Session: 83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version: View report [0 pages  File size: 58 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study and review the correctional facilities and processes within Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and Texas Juvenile Justice Department with emphasis on efficiencies, effectiveness, and recidivism. Examine the existing programmatic approach per facility in the areas of the vocation, education, visitation, rehabilitation, health and mental health services, parole supervision, and reentry initiatives. Evaluate opportunities for partnerships between facilities and private industries to offer education, job training, and potential employment for offenders during incarceration, parole, and final release.
2. 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 Criminal Jurisprudence)
3. In the area of Juvenile Justice, analyze and make recommendations on outcome-based financing models that allow the state to partner with private investors and innovative service providers willing to cover the upfront costs and assume performance risk to divert youths into cost-effective programs and interventions, while assuring that taxpayers will not pay for the programs unless the programs demonstrate success in achieving the desired outcomes.
4. Study the impact of SB 393, 83rd R.S. and SB 1114, 83rd R.S.. Assess the impact of school discipline and school-based policing on referrals to the municipal, justice, and juvenile courts, and identify judicial policies or initiatives designed to reduce referrals without having a negative impact on school safety. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Public Education)
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 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
Library Catalog Title: Interim report to the 82nd Legislature / Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
Subjects: Alcohol-related deaths | Alternatives to incarceration | Blood alcohol concentration | Child abuse | Child sexual abuse | Community notification of sex offenders | Concealed weapons | Crime laboratories | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | DNA testing | Driving while intoxicated | Forensics | Indigent criminal defense | Jail Standards, Texas Commission on | Juvenile detention facilities | Juvenile justice system | Juvenile Probation Commission, Texas | Mental health services | Mentally ill inmates | Municipal jails | Prison security | Public Safety, Texas Department of | Recidivism | School discipline | Sex offender registration | State Health Services, Texas Department of | Texas Fair Defense Act | Witnesses | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.81 C868
Session: 81st R.S. (2009)
Online version: View report [115 pages  File size: 3,355 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study the efficiency and fairness of the current sexual offender registry system and make recommendations to improve the system, if necessary. Study the issue of compliance with the Adam Walsh Act, focusing on the associated costs to the state and the punishment of juveniles. Examine the risk assessment tools used to measure the likelihood of recidivism of sexual predators.
2. Review statistics regarding the crime of driving while intoxicated, including accident statistics, alcohol-related deaths and injury, and other impacts on the community. Examine enforcement options used nationwide to deter driving under the influence and make recommendations to reduce the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities and accidents in Texas.
3. Review the performance of the Fair Defense Act and the Task Force on Indigent Defense. Study key outcomes of the law, including: appointment rates in felony and misdemeanor cases; state and county indigent defense expenditures; attorney caseloads; attorney compensation; access to investigators and experts; and overall quality of counsel for the indigent. Examine the Task Force on Indigent Defense's effectiveness in monitoring and enforcing standards and design strategies to improve the delivery of services for indigent defense, including timing of the appointment of counsel, the use of the appointment wheel and the monitoring of workloads and performance of attorneys.
4. Study and make recommendations related to municipal jails and other detention facilities that operate without state agency oversight. Identify the number of such facilities and the population detained, as well as best practices for municipal jails. Make recommendations to improve services and consider options for oversight of facilities by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
5. Review the detention of juvenile offenders in local jails, state jails, and Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison units by examining conditions of confinement, including quality of education, mental health treatment and medical services, rehabilitative treatment, and equality of access to services for young female inmates. Review access to administrative and inspector general grievances in TDCJ facilities. Make recommendations for improving the system and reduce recidivism of juvenile offenders.
6. Study and make recommendations to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of testing done in Texas forensic laboratories, including DNA and blood/alcohol testing. Assess and make recommendations for improving the capacity of Texas criminal laboratories to process evidence, identify ways to reduce the backlog of DNA evidence processing, identify ways to encourage qualified applicants for crime lab jobs, ensure adequate training for new crime lab technicians, ensure the availability of efficient crime lab processing to all regions of the state, and determine the impact of additional collection requirements on the capacity of Texas crime labs to process evidence. Consider the costs and benefits of creating a statewide crime lab.
7. Assess how the Commission on Jail Standards, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Criminal Justice, and Department of State Health Services are working together to identify defendants with mental health issues, notify magistrates when defendants have been identified and, where appropriate, provide crisis stabilization services to defendants. Monitor legislation passed by the 81st Legislature for mental illness and make recommendations for any needed improvements to improve mental health services and reduce recidivism.
8. Study and evaluate the success of juvenile probation pilot programs aimed at community-based diversion of youth from Texas Youth Commission facilities. Make recommendations for needed legislative action and additional programs to increase the number of delinquent youth successfully rehabilitated in their home communities.
9. Consider the impact that secondary education school disciplinary laws and policies have on the juvenile justice system and the adult prison system. Recommend changes, if needed, to current law.
10. Evaluate the usage of current Texas practices for facilitating the fair and accurate courtroom testimony of children and reducing the trauma associated with testifying, particularly for children who are victims of sexual abuse. Specifically consider recent efforts and trends across the nation to develop best practices, including "court orientation" programs, and ensure that courtrooms are more child friendly and accommodating for young victims to reduce the trauma associated with testifying in court while ensuring that fair and accurate information is solicited from the child as a witness.
11. Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, 81st Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation.
  • Study the impact of certain provisions in the 2009 DPS Sunset bill on the timely processing of concealed handgun license applications and the issuance of licenses.
  • Monitor and make recommendations, if needed, on actions by TDCJ to improve security and reduce contraband.
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Border security | County jails | Criminal justice | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Disciplinary alternative education programs | Inmate rehabilitation | Juvenile justice alternative education programs | Juvenile Probation Commission, Texas | Mentally ill inmates | Mentally ill persons | Municipal jails | Prisoner re-entry | State jail system | Substance abuse | Undocumented immigrants | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.80 C817
Session: 80th R.S. (2007)
Online version: View report [66 pages  File size: 29,320 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Explore the use of technology practices that improve efficiency, safety, and coordination of criminal justice activities on the state, local and county levels.
2. Consider new strategies for meeting prisoner reentry challenges in Texas, including the evaluation of programs with documented success. This review should include the availability of housing and occupational barriers.
3. Provide a comprehensive analysis and study of the Texas state jail system, including original intent for use, sentencing guidelines, and effectiveness. Develop suggestions for changes and improvements in the state jail system.
4. Study the organizational structure of the Texas Youth Commission and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission to determine if the current system is effectively and efficiently addressing the needs of the juvenile justice system in conjunction with the sunset review of these agencies. (Joint Interim Charge with the House Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues.)
5. Study Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs and Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs, including referral rates, age of students, whether parents have sufficient recourse to challenge a placement, funding, and course requirements. (Joint Interim Charge with the House Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues.)
6. Review and research the availability, coordination, efficiency, and allocation of substance abuse treatment resources for probationers, pretrial defendants, people in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), and parolees. This review should include methods to reduce and improve current assessments, training, and referring protocols and the identification of any barriers that may be impeding all of the above. (Joint Interim Charge wit the House Committee on Appropriations.)
7. Study policies and procedures related to illegal immigration and border security of the TDCJ, county probation departments, and local and county jail facilities, and make recommendations to improve coordination with international, federal, state and local authorities. (Joint Interim Charge with the House Committee on County Affairs.)
8. Assess the relationship between mental illness and criminal behavior and offer reforms needed to address the proliferation of mental illness in the adult and juvenile justice systems. This review should include an examination of data sharing between criminal justice and health and human services agencies, proper screening, assessments, treatment, discharge planning, post-release supervision, and community services. (Joint Charge with the House Committee on Appropriations.)
9. Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction.
Committee: House County Affairs
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: House Committee on County Affairs, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2008 : a report to the House of Representatives, 81st Texas Legislature
Subjects: Border security | County government | County jails | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Extraterritorial jurisdiction | Fireworks | Municipal government | Municipal jails | Undocumented immigrants |
Library Call Number: L1836.80 C832
Session: 80th R.S. (2007)
Online version: View report [41 pages  File size: 3,936 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study the issues surrounding the sale, use, and regulation of fireworks in urbanized, unincorporated parts of the county.
2. Examine county procurement statutes to identify areas for increasing efficiency without sacrificing internal controls.
3. Study policies and procedures related to illegal immigration and border security of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, county probation departments, and local and county jail facilities, and make recommendations to improve coordination with international, federal, state, and local authorities. (Joint Interim Charge with the House Committee on Corrections.)
4. Examine recent attempts by municipalities to exert regulatory authority beyond city limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction. Evaluate the current relationship between and possible conflicts related to regulatory authority expressly given to state agencies by the legislature and regulatory authority delegated to home-rule municipalities. (Joint Interim Charge with the House Committee on Land and Resource Management.)
5. Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: Interim report to the 81st Legislature
Subjects: Capital murder trials | Child abuse | Correctional officers | Criminal justice | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Deferred adjudication | Drug trafficking | Homicide | Juvenile justice system | Mental health services | Mentally ill inmates | Methamphetamine | Occupational licenses | Ombudsmen | Pardons and Paroles, Texas Board of | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Police officers | Prison population | Prison security | Prisoner re-entry | Privately-operated prisons | Pseudoephedrine | Recidivism | Searches and seizures | Sex offenders | Substance abuse | Texas Code of Criminal Procedure | Theft | Youth Commission, Texas | Youthful offenders |
Library Call Number: L1836.80 C868
Session: 80th R.S. (2007)
Online version: View report [113 pages  File size: 13,967 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Determine how private prisons are complying with state laws and how cost, safety, living conditions and rehabilitative services at private prisons compare with state-run facilities. Include an assessment of the staff turnover rates and compensation of private contractors when compared with state-operated facilities, and of the contract bidding processes used by the Texas Youth Commission and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
2. Monitor the implementation of SB 103, 80th R.S., and the continuing reforms to the Texas Youth Commission and the juvenile criminal justice system. Identify barriers to effective implementation and provide recommendations to ensure that the goals of this legislation are achieved. Provide recommendations relating to best practices and identify needed additional treatment programs for juvenile sex offenders.
3. Study the impact of laws designed to reduce illegal drug use and make recommendations for reducing access to illegal drugs and for developing best practices for preventative programs, focusing on drugs targeted for the younger population, such as cheese heroin. Assess the impact of limiting access to pseudoephedrine, including the impact restrictions have had on illegal manufacturers' methods for producing methamphetamine.
4. Monitor the implementation of the new and expanded programs provided to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) within the Fiscal Year 2008 and 2009 budget, and identify their impact on the criminal justice populations. Study security issues within TDCJ, including staffing issues, use of lock down procedures, the control and containment of infectious diseases and the introduction and control of contraband within the institutions. Review the use of career ladders for employees of TDCJ and issues surrounding the retention of professional corrections staff. Study the issues of independent oversight of TDCJ, including the use and effectiveness of the TDCJ ombudsman system. Provide recommendations for the reduction or elimination of barriers to an effective corrections system.
5. Study and make recommendations for reducing the number of law enforcement officer deaths in the line of duty. This study should include:
  • an assessment of the types of calls and assignments that put law enforcement officers most at risk;
  • the geographic regions of the state that suffer the most deaths;
  • the agencies experiencing the highest rate of deaths in the line of duty;
  • the time in an officer's career, and the officer's age that he or she is most susceptible to death in the line of duty; and
  • the times of year, month, and day that are most dangerous.
6. Study the issue of criminal asset seizure and the use of seized and forfeiture funds by district attorneys and law enforcement agencies. Review the oversight of these matters by the Texas Attorney General and provide recommendations to improve the dissemination of information concerning these funds. Ensure that these funds have the appropriate accountability and fiscal controls required for public funds.
7. Study the system of deferred adjudication in Texas courts and make recommendations for resolving any problems and reducing the potential for release of dangerous criminals.
8. Study and recommend best practices for reducing re-victimization of child abuse victims associated with delay in resolution of criminal cases. Recommend options for reducing the time lapse between child victimization and criminal hearings.
9. Review the processes for re-entry of criminal offenders into communities. Identify barriers to the successful return to law-abiding behavior, including the absence of employment opportunities created by restriction on obtaining certain state occupational licenses. Provide recommendations for improvements to our current statutes governing this matter.
10. Study whether Articles 36.09 (relating to trying multiple defendants from the same transaction either separately or jointly) and 36.10 (relating to severing defendants that show prejudice from a joint trial) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure provide sufficient safeguards to ensure fair and reliable trial results in capital cases with multiple defendants. Determine whether the articles provide trial judges with sufficient instruction regarding joinder or severance of defendants and, if not, make recommendations to improve procedures.
11. Study the relationship between the public mental health system and the criminal justice and civil courts systems, including the identification and sharing of information regarding mentally ill offenders, including minors, among criminal justice and mental health agencies, the courts, state hospitals, and the Veterans Administration. Study how current confidentiality laws impact the exchange of information among groups described above. Study the sentencing of mentally ill offenders compared to non-mentally ill offenders, including minors, and the affect that has on statewide prison capacity and on the health care provided to mentally ill offenders. (Joint Charge with Senate State Affairs Committee)
12. Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Criminal Justice Committee, 80th R.S., and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation. Specifically, report on the implementation of SB 909, 80th R.S., the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Sunset legislation, including provisions relating to the Board of Pardons and Paroles, and monitor implementation of the new laws relating to copper theft (SB 1154, 80th R.S., HB 1766, 80th R.S., and HB 1767, 80th R.S.).
Committee: Senate Finance
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: Interim report
Subjects: Aging and Disability Services, Texas Department of | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Employees Retirement System of Texas | Employers | Financial investments | Frew lawsuits | Health and Human Services Commission, Texas | Health insurance | Health insurance premium subsidies | Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas | Highway finance | Investment of public funds | Iran | Medicaid | Medical reimbursements | Parks and Wildlife, Texas Department of | Permanent School Fund | Permanent University Fund | State agency budgets | State government debt | State Health Services, Texas Department of | State supported living centers | Sudan | Tax incentives | Teacher Retirement System of Texas | Texas Southern University | Transportation, Texas Department of | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.80 F49
Session: 80th R.S. (2007)
Online version: View report [46 pages  File size: 698 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Provide effective budget oversight of state agencies to ensure that monies appropriated are spent wisely. Particular areas of focus will include the Texas Department of Transportation, Department of State Health Services coordination of Mental Health Services, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department revitalization of State Parks, Health and Human Services Commission management of Frew settlement agreement and waiting list slots, Department of Aging and Disability Services improvement of State Schools, Texas Department of Criminal Justice roll out of treatment programs and review of the salary career ladder for employees for retention purposes, Texas Youth Commission achievement of reform, Texas Southern University rehabilitation, Higher Education Coordinating Board implementation of incentive programs and the creation of the Texas Cancer Research and Prevention Institute.
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of existing state tax incentives that encourage employers to provide health coverage to their employees, including tax incentives under the revised state business tax, and make recommendations for additional deductions or credits that increase the number of employees covered by health care insurance.
3. Study the feasibility and the advisability of establishing an investment policy that is consistent across all state trust funds, including the trust funds of the Employees Retirement System, the Teachers Retirement System, the Permanent University Fund, and the Permanent School Fund. Identify best investment policies for state trust funds. Examine recent portfolio diversification strategies and the effect they have on long-term fund performance. The recommendations should consider what is an acceptable rate of return, an acceptable degree of risk, the appropriateness of certain investments. (Joint charge with Senate State Affairs Committee)
4. Review Medicaid provider reimbursement rate methodologies, including the impact of factors such as infrastructure concerns, federal minimum wage changes, and cost reports. Study the impact on access to care, quality of care, and value, and make recommendations for legislative changes, taking into account rate increases contained in the current budget. (Joint charge with Senate Health and Human Services Committee)
5. Study and review state and local options for expanding transportation funding and explore options to reduce diversions of Fund 6 revenue. (Joint charge with Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security)
6. Study and make recommendations relating to whether the Texas Department of Transportation is in compliance with Transportation Code §201.109, Revenue Enhancement, and whether the Texas Department of Transportation is using the funding sources provided by the Legislature, including, but not limited to, General Obligation, Fund 6 and Mobility Fund bonds, to build new roads. (Joint charge with Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security)
7. Monitor and provide a brief update on the implementation of legislation addressed by the Finance Committee, 80th R.S., and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve or enhance and complete implementation.
  • SB 247, 80th R.S., relating to Sudan divestment, and make recommendations about whether to include Iran in the divestment strategy;
  • SB1332, 80th R.S., to help improve the state's debt management and oversight, including a more comprehensive review of state debt and improved communication between entities and oversight of state bond issuance;
  • SB 10, 80th R.S., and the Frew settlement to ensure that the initiatives carried out by the Health and Human Services Commission affect meaningful improvement in access to quality care in the Texas Medicaid program; and
  • HB 3732, 80th R.S., relating to ultra-clean coal technologies, and determine the amount of property tax removed from the tax rolls, as well as the corresponding impact on school finance. Identify any changes needed to strengthen the program and ensure its success.
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: 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: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report - Charge 3
Library Catalog Title: Interim report, 78th Legislature : charge three / Senate Committee on Criminal Justice.
Subjects: Correctional officer shortages | Correctional officers | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Good-conduct time | Inmate classification |
Library Call Number: L1836.77 c868 3
Session: 77th R.S. (2001)
Online version: View report [28 pages  File size: 1,115 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. Monitor the implementation of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's revised inmate classification system; monitor TDCJ employee recruitment and retention efforts; review the good conduct time credit system used by TDCJ; and recommend changes, if any, needed in these areas.
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 - Parolees and recidivism - appendix C and appendix D
Library Catalog Title: Interim report, 77th Legislature : charge six / Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, appendix c appendix d
Subjects: Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Inmate rehabilitation | Parole | Recidivism |
Library Call Number: L1836.76 c868 6
Session: 76th R.S. (1999)
Online version: View report [128 pages  File size: 5,040 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. Review reintegration programs for juvenile and adult parolees and their families upon release to determine if strategies and coordination between state, local, public and private entities are effective. The committee shall make recommendations to reduce recidivism.
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 - Correctional personnel
Library Catalog Title: Interim report, 77th Legislature : charge eight.
Subjects: Correctional officers | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Jail Standards, Texas Commission on | Juvenile Probation Commission, Texas | Prison security | Prison violence | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.76 c868 8
Session: 76th R.S. (1999)
Online version: View report [32 pages  File size: 1,086 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. The Committee shall review efforts by the Commission on Jail Standards, the Juvenile Probation Commission, and the Youth Commission to monitor compliance with statutes and regulations designed to ensure the safety of security personnel and offenders. The Committee shall determine if current compliance measures and monitoring are adequate. Also a review of employment standards and adequate background checks shall be conducted to ensure safe operations of facilities and programs. The Committee also may consider methods used to employ and retain effective security personnel in adult and juvenile facilities operated by the Department of Criminal Justice and the Youth Commission.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report - Implementation of SB 8, 352, 365, 370, 371, HB 2617
Library Catalog Title: Interim report, 77th Legislature : charge eleven.
Subjects: Correctional Managed Health Care Committee | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Gangs | Pardons and Paroles, Texas Board of | Private Security Bureau, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.76 c868 11
Session: 76th R.S. (1999)
Online version: View report [375 pages  File size: 5,295 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. Monitor the implementation of the following bills enacted during the 76th R.S.: SB 8, 76th R.S., relating to the compilation of criminal information pertaining to criminal street gangs and criminal combinations; SB 352, 76th R.S., relating to requirements for membership on or employment by the Board of Pardons and Paroles; SB 365, 76th R.S., relating to the continuation and the functions of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the administration of the Private Sector Prison Industries Oversight Authority, the administration of the Texas Council on Offenders with Mental Impairments, and the civil commitment of sexually violent predators; SB 370, 76th R.S., relating to the continuation and functions of the Department of Public Safety; SB 371, 76th R.S., relating to the continuation and functions of the Correctional Managed Health Care Advisory Committee; and HB 2617, 76th R.S., relating to the continuation of the Texas Board of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies as the Texas Commission on Private Security, to the functions performed by that agency, and to certain powers of political subdivisions relating to alarm systems.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report - Parolees and recidivism
Library Catalog Title: Interim report, 77th Legislature : charge six.
Subjects: Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Inmate rehabilitation | Parole | Recidivism |
Library Call Number: L1836.76 c868 6
Session: 76th R.S. (1999)
Online version: View report [31 pages  File size: 1,045 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. Review reintegration programs for juvenile and adult parolees and their families upon release to determine if strategies and coordination between state, local, public and private entities are effective. The committee shall make recommendations to reduce recidivism.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report - Parolees and recidivism - appendix A
Library Catalog Title: Interim report, 77th Legislature : charge six / Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, appendix A
Subjects: Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Inmate rehabilitation | Parole | Recidivism |
Library Call Number: L1836.76 c868 6
Session: 76th R.S. (1999)
Online version: View report [101 pages  File size: 21,936 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. Review reintegration programs for juvenile and adult parolees and their families upon release to determine if strategies and coordination between state, local, public and private entities are effective. The committee shall make recommendations to reduce recidivism.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report - Parolees and recidivism - appendix B
Library Catalog Title: Interim report, 77th Legislature : charge six / Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, appendix b
Subjects: Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Inmate rehabilitation | Parole | Recidivism |
Library Call Number: L1836.76 c868 6
Session: 76th R.S. (1999)
Online version: View report [17 pages  File size: 1,098 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. Review reintegration programs for juvenile and adult parolees and their families upon release to determine if strategies and coordination between state, local, public and private entities are effective. The committee shall make recommendations to reduce recidivism.
Committee: Senate Intergovernmental Relations
Title: Interim Report
Library Catalog Title: Interim report, 77th Legislature / Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations.
Subjects: Affordable housing | Building codes | Competitive bidding | Councils of government | County government | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Design/build process | Housing and Community Affairs, Texas Department of | Municipal annexation | Municipalities | Real estate development | State government contracts | Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation | Transportation, Texas Department of |
Library Call Number: L1836.76 l786
Session: 76th R.S. (1999)
Online version: View report [262 pages  File size: 7,243 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Evaluate the potential benefits offered through the "design-build" form of bidding, which allows engineers, architects, and builders to form teams and bid on state projects in contrast to the current method which mandates that each entity bid separately. The Committee shall compare the State of Texas practices to other states and to the private sector and evaluate the "design-build" option as it relates to buildings, roads, and other publicly funded projects.
2. Study the funding and expenditures of Councils of Government (COGs) and examine the changing relationship between COGs and the state and federal governments since 1982. The Committee shall monitor the compliance by COGS regarding publication of financial statements, as referenced in the General Appropriations Bill, HB 1, 76th R.S..
3. Review the statutory authority granted to local governments to regulate the development of residential subdivisions. The Committee shall identify conflicting provisions and make recommendations to clarify existing statutes.
4. Monitor the implementation of SB 89, 76th R.S. relating to municipal annexation.
5. Examine the powers, functions and programs administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) and the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC). The committee's report will assess the methodology used in allocating the various housing funds and resources, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and the Housing Trust Fund, and the compliance by the agency with that methodology, and address whether the programs administered by TDHCA and the TSAHC meet the affordable housing demands of targeted population groups throughout the State of Texas.
Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 1998 : a report to the House of Representatives, 76th Texas Legislature.
Subjects: At-risk youth | Child crimes | Civil commitment of sex offenders | Court costs and fees | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Good-conduct time | Indigent criminal defense | Juvenile crime | Juvenile justice system | Pardons and Paroles, Texas Board of | Parole | Sex offenders | Sexual assault | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.75 c868h
Session: 75th R.S. (1997)
Online version: View report [186 pages  File size: 7,610 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Review and assess the consistency of all statutes that pertain to the age of criminal responsibility.
2. Study the issues relating to the civil commitment of violent offenders after their criminal sentence is served. Review civil commitment laws enacted in other states.
3. Study the cost of legal services for the indigent in the Texas criminal justice system.
4. Assess the effect that state-imposed municipal and county court fees have on a city, municipality, or county's revenue over time, and how it affects the violator's ability to pay.
5. Examine the policies of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles regarding parole revocations, and to examine the calculation of current time, the forfeiture of good time, and program options for all felony cases, with special attention to substance abuse initiatives.
Committee: Senate Sex Offenders, Interim
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: Report to the 76th Legislature.
Subjects: Ashley's Laws | Civil commitment of sex offenders | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Inmate rehabilitation | Juvenile Probation Commission, Texas | Parole | Sex offenders | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.75 se91r
Session: 75th R.S. (1997)
Online version: View report [97 pages  File size: 3,117 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study and make recommendations for policy or statutory changes, if needed, that would allow for the civil commitment of sexual predators, both adults and juveniles. The Committee should consider similar laws enacted in Kansas and other states.
2. Evaluate the need for any additional facilities or resources that may be required if sexual predators are committed for treatment in a state agency. The Committee should consider the fiscal impact and possible funding sources for its recommendations.
3. Review current practices and policies of the Department of Criminal Justice, the Youth Commission and Juvenile Probation Commission in the treatment of adult and juvenile sex offenders, including the methods of assessment, evaluation, and tracking of all sex offenders while incarcerated and while on parole. If legislative or regulatory action is necessary, make recommendations.
4. Study federal laws regarding sex offenders and victims of sexual offenses to ensure compliance, to determine necessary statutory or policy modifications, and to ensure maximum availability of federal funds for Texas.
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: House Criminal Justice and People with Mental Disabilities, House Joint
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: Joint Committee on Criminal Justice and Persons with Mental Disabilities, Texas House of Representatives, interim report, 1996 : a report to the House of Representatives, 75th Texas Legislature.
Subjects: Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Jail Standards, Texas Commission on | Juvenile Probation Commission, Texas | Law Enforcement, Texas Commission on | Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Texas Department of | Mentally disabled inmates | Mentally ill persons | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.74 c868hj
Session: 74th R.S. (1995)
Online version: View report [69 pages  File size: 2,891 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. The House Joint Committee on Criminal Justice and People with Mental Disabilities is created to study the special problems of individuals with mental disabilities in the criminal justice system. The Committee should consider such information as the number of people in the system with mental disabilities, the quality of assessment measures to determine competence, the adequacy of representation, the availability of services and treatment and barriers to reintegration into the community.
Committee: Senate Juvenile Justice and Child Support, Interim
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: Senate Interim Committee on Juvenile Justice and Child Support final report submitted to the 75th Legislature.
Subjects: At-risk youth | Attorney General Child Support Division | Child support | Children's health insurance | Criminal Justice Policy Council | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Juvenile crime | Juvenile justice alternative education programs | Juvenile justice system | Medically uninsured | Progressive sanctions (Criminal justice) | Protective and Regulatory Services, Texas Department of | Public Safety, Texas Department of | School discipline | Services to Runaways and At-Risk Youth Program | Sex offenders | Texas Child Support Enforcement System | Traffic violations | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.74 j988r
Session: 74th R.S. (1995)
Online version: View report [171 pages  File size: 7,838 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study whether the criminal offense of "Failure to Stop and Render Aid," which applies to adults, should apply to juveniles.
2. Study and make recommendations regarding the juvenile justice revisions made by the 74th Legislature, with a special focus on (a) implementation of progressive sanctions and related programming by local entities and (b) the expansion of the STARS (Services to At-Risk Youth) program by the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, by the Juvenile Justice Reform Bill, HB 327, 74th R.S., and the Appropriations Act, HB 1, 74th R.S..
3. Study and make recommendations for any juvenile justice related issues that are identified as problems in the revisions of juvenile justice, including omissions and unintended consequences of the Juvenile Justice Reform Bill or related statutes and legislation.
4. Review analysis of the Criminal Justice Policy Council and other information required to be reported to the legislature, governor, lieutenant governor, or the Legislative Budget Board by HB 327, 74th R.S., or related statutes and make recommendations from those reports as necessary.
5. Study and make recommendations regarding child support payments, specifically relating to the collection and distribution of child support as in SB 793, 74th R.S..
6. Study and determine whether the expansion of the Texas Youth Commission and local juvenile justice facilities is sufficient to go into the year 2002.
Committee: House Corrections
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: To the speaker and members of the Texas House of Representatives, 74th Legislature : report of the Committee on Corrections, Texas House of Representatives, 74th Legislature.
Subjects: Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Inmate health | Inmate rehabilitation | Managed care | Prison construction | Prison labor | Prison population | Recidivism | State agency mandated reports | State jail system | Telemedicine | Windham School District |
Library Call Number: L1836.73 c868
Session: 73rd R.S. (1993)
Online version: View report [64 pages  File size: 2,429 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Conduct active oversight of agencies under the committee's jurisdiction, including a study of mandated reports to the legislature and legislative agencies. The study should consist of a review of the legislative reporting requirements of all agencies to identify areas where reporting obligations could be streamlined and agency accountability improved. The committee shall make specific recommendations about the continuation, modification or elimination of required legislative reports.
2. Monitor and report on the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's implementation of the managed health care system established in SB 378, 73rd Legislature, Regular Session.
3. Monitor the construction of facilities by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Report to the legislature on construction progress and make recommendations regarding the adequacy and effectiveness of the construction program.
4. Study the effects of inmate job training on recidivism, as proposed in HB 1602, 73rd Legislature, Regular Session.
5. Study the use of private industry prison work programs and the assumption of costs by the prison through these programs.
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: To the speaker and members of the Texas House of Representatives, 72nd Legislature : report of the Committee on Corrections, Texas House of Representatives, 71st Legislature.
Subjects: Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Drug trafficking | Electronic monitoring of offenders | Parole | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Prison security | Substance abuse |
Library Call Number: L1836.71 c868
Session: 71st R.S. (1989)
Online version: View report [17 pages  File size: 701 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. To study the implementation of electronic monitoring as a sentencing alternative.
2. To study the use, sale and distribution of drugs within the Texas Department of Corrections.
Committee: House Public Safety
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: Interim report to the 72nd Texas Legislature / Committee on Public Safety.
Subjects: Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Gun laws | Peace officers | Racing Commission, Texas | Railroad Commission of Texas | Telemarketers | Texas Turnpike Authority |
Library Call Number: L1836.71 p96s
Session: 71st R.S. (1989)
Online version: View report [8 pages  File size: 446 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. To monitor all activities and to have budget oversight responsibilities for those agencies, boards and commissions as listed in Rule 3, Section 27.
2. To study the various gun licensing or permitting laws to carry firearms among the states.
3. To study the necessity and impact of commissioning certain state employees as peace officers.
4. To study telephone solicitation associated with fund raising organizations (joint study with Urban Affairs Committee).
Committee: Joint State and Local Drug Control, Task Force on
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: Interim report to the 72nd Legislature / Task Force on State and Local Drug Control.
Subjects: Crime prevention | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Drug rehabilitation programs | Drug trafficking | Drug-related crimes | Inmate rehabilitation | Prison population | Substance abuse |
Library Call Number: L1836.71 d842r
Session: 71st R.S. (1989)
Online version: View report [84 pages  File size: 4,044 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. Study issues of public policy relating to drug control, including the following: (a) the need for state of Texas coordination with new federal initiatives in the War on Drugs; (b) the cost to the state of new federal drug control; (c) new initiatives and methods of drug abuse prevention in public elementary schools and the feasibility and cost of implementing new programs at that level; (d) the large increase of felony offenses by persons referred to juvenile probation programs; and (e) means of more efficient and effective coordination of drug-related law enforcement activities between agencies and levels of government. The task force shall also monitor the progress and effectiveness of pilot programs established by the lieutenant governor's anticrime legislative package.
Supporting documents
Committee: Joint State and Local Drug Control, Task Force on
Title: Proclamation
Library Catalog Title: Proclamation
Library Call Number: L1800.1 p926
Session: 71st R.S. (1989)
Online version: View document [1 pages  File size: 96 kb]

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