d. Improve Personal Responsibility Tools
Introduction:
Since the early 1990’s,
Texas has tripled the capacity of its prisons, increasing the number of prisoners faster than any other state. In fact,
Texas ’ incarceration rate is 51% higher than the national average. However, in spite of the massive increase in prisoner incarceration, the crime rate has not declined in
Texas as much as in other states: our state crime rate is 24% higher than the national average.i Still,
Texas ’ state prison population continues to grow. And as long as
Texas policies stay the same, we are expected to exceed current prison capacity by nearly 11,000 beds in just over three years. To accommodate for this, officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice have asked for three new prisons – which will cost taxpayers $711.5 million in building expenses and $72 million in annual operation expenses, for a total of $2.151 billion over 20 years. This request is not only costly but unsustainable: there is not a sufficient amount of time to meet the projected prisoner influx (as construction of the prisons would take several years) and there are not enough prison guards to meet the current demand.
New and effective strategies must be implemented to solve
Texas ’ prison capacity and over-crowding problems. Both the Texas House and Senate must join in the current bipartisan effort to implement smarter and sustainable solutions that will save taxpayers dollars, reduce the risk of individuals re-offending, and provide those who are re-entering society with tools for personal responsibility. Probation must be strengthened, parole guidelines must be followed, and programs that focus on reducing risk (such as treatment and reintegration) must be fully funded and implemented.
[i]TDCJ Community Assistance Division, Community Supervision in Texas: Summary Statistics January 2003, Prepared by Research and Evaluation
