Acknowledgements

 

Advocacy and Policy Research Organizations 

 

 

Advocacy and policy research organizations across the political spectrum bolstered the passage of “smart on crime” policies by providing research showing that reforms could improve safety and reduce costs to taxpayers.  TCJC is lucky to have the following organizations on out side working for improvements to the criminal justice system:

  • The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Effective Justice provided key research into the fiscal implications of new criminal justice policies and the positive impact on taxpayers and public safety.  From over-regulation resulting in closed markets and closed opportunities for people who want to work to detailed studies of the public safety impact of new incarceration policies, the Texas Public Policy Foundation provides strong advocacy from conservative principles on all aspects of criminal justice policy.
  • The Texas Coalition Advocating Justice For Juveniles offered key policy research before the legislative session, as well as testimony and research on key issues affecting juveniles after the scandals at TYC made headline news.  TCAJJ connects policy-makers with juveniles and their families and helped bring witnesses to the Capitol so that lawmakers could hear first-hand what families in Texas had experienced when their children ended up in youth facilities.
  • The Texas Probation Association worked tirelessly to develop and promote standards and goals for professional practitioners in the field of probation and based recommendations for reform on the best practices used by these professionals.
  • The Community Justice Assistance Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice offered expert advice and on-the-ground experience with respect to reforms designed to protect the public, help rehabilitate offenders, and serve the victims of those offenders.  CJAD develops sound public policy that leads to effective, community-based programs and services, including polices based on experience with new diversion funding provided by the 79th Legislature to strengthen community supervision by reducing caseloads, utilizing progressive sanctions models, and providing more community supervision options for residential treatment and aftercare.
  • The Texas Task Force on Indigent Defense offered insights about the delivery of indigent defense services by state, local judicial, county, and municipal officials.  The Task Force promotes justice and fairness to all indigent persons accused of criminal conduct, including juvenile respondents.
  • The Restorative Justice Ministry Network of Texas promoted treatment programs that produce more positive results than incarceration and pushed for the development of community treatment programs, as well as treatment programming within the correctional systems.  Restorative Justice Ministry brings key religious values into the public policy debate and connects church leaders to the managers of the criminal justice system – ministers speak with judges and prosecutors, prison ministers dialogue with prison wardens – in order to move government policy away from retributive justice and toward restorative justice. 
  • The Association of Substance Abuse Programs brought to the discussion of drug policy and drug law incarceration the voice of treatment providers who regularly treat and help drug addicts become productive members of society.
  • The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors translated research and knowledge about effective alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment into better public policy in Texas , and assisted in the collaboration between advocates, lawmakers, and treatment professionals, especially with respect to best practices and sensible funding solutions.
  • The Austin/Travis County Reentry Roundtable provided consistent, educated, and grounded advocacy about barriers to re-entry for ex-offenders and the most effective policy solutions to reduce high recidivism rates for offenders under community supervision.  The Reentry Roundtable brought together professionals and local and state elected officials in a dialogue about local, county, and state reforms that will combine to build a more effective criminal justice system.
  • The Texas Catholic Conference compassionately advocated for the betterment of people in prison, programs that divert addicts to treatment instead of incarceration, policies that break the cycle of incarceration, and policies that give hope to the formerly incarcerated and their families.
  • The Texas Christian Life Commission worked to provide information and leadership on a variety of criminal justice issues and were an unwavering partner advocating for humane criminal justice policies. 

  • The Texas Association of Addiction Professionals provided professional expertise on effective treatment options for drug and alcohol addiction related crimes.

  • The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas provided strong advocacy on a range of criminal justice issues, leading the fight against the onslaught of ineffective and costly criminal sentencing enhancements, providing policy guidance in the development of juvenile justice reforms, and advocating for a constitutional level of health care for the incarcerated, among other reforms.
  • The Texas State Conference of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Branches worked to reduce over-incarceration of and discrimination against minorities and promoted civil rights.  The NAACP is ’s oldest and most prominent advocacy group for black people and their allies.
  • The Texas Fair Defense Project partnered with TCJC to work through litigation and advocacy to ensure that no Texans give up their right to an attorney, and that every Texan who requests an attorney receives competent representation when they are accused of a crime.
  • The League of United Latin American Citizens informed their membership about necessary reforms to the criminal justice system, including among its top priorities the reduction of discrimination against Latinos and immigrants.  LULAC is the leading Latino advocacy group in Texas .

 

Unfailing Allies

  • Jim Bethke, Director, Task Force on Indigent Defense
  • Gary Bledsoe, President, Texas State Conference of NAACP Branches
  • Edwin Davis, Restorative Justice Ministry Network of Texas
  • Will Harrell, former Executive Director, ACLU of Texas
  • Cynthia K. Humphrey, Executive Director, Association of Substance Abuse Programs
  • Todd Jermstad, Texas Probation Association, Bell County CSCD
  • Marc Levin, Director, Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation
  • Kathy Mitchell
  • Suzii Paynter, Director, Texas Christian Life Commission
  • Mary Ramos, Texas LULAC
  • Herbert Steptoe, Winner’s Circle Peer Support Networ