TCJC’s 2009 Policy Guide has arrived!
Letter from the Executive Director
Dear Reader,
As the Executive Director of the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJC), I am thrilled to present our second policy guide, which promotes criminal justice solutions that embody the principles of effective management, accountability, public safety, and human and civil rights.
Considering the state’s anticipated budget shortfall for 2010-2011, the Legislature cannot waste taxpayers’ dollars on the status quo by locking up individuals and throwing away the key. Instead, during this 81st Legislative Session, the goal of policy-makers from both sides of the aisle must be to continue to support the cost-effective “smart on crime” practices put in place during our last state session in 2007. These public safety strategies have laid the foundation for an infrastructure focused on saving taxpayers money, increasing public safety, and boosting the strength of our communities.
To build upon this groundwork, policy-makers must continue their commitment to ensuring the fidelity and success of responsible crime-reduction best practices. Specifically, state lawmakers must address four crucial areas: the turbulent juvenile justice system that has historically failed to protect our youth; the arrest, court, and conviction practices that are impeding fair treatment in our legal system; the lack of treatment services, as well as under-funded and under-staffed probation and parole systems, that contribute to prison overcrowding; and the barriers to re-entry that lead many formerly incarcerated individuals back inside prison walls.
It is our hope that policy-makers, corrections and supervisory personnel, treatment providers, stakeholders in the legal system, and other advocates collaborate to drive efficient, socially effective policies and funding streams. We urge all invested in these issues to join us in support of responsible juvenile and criminal justice practices that will ultimately decrease the flow into prisons and stop the cycle of offending.
Sincerely,
Ana Yáñez-Correa
Executive Director, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition
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