Issue 8: Texas Has a Continuing Need for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Summary
Key Recommendation
· Continue TDCJ for 12 years.
Key Findings
· TDCJ provides public safety by assisting local governments with community supervision, and by confining offenders and providing for their reintegration into society.
· Texas has a clear and continuing need to support local community supervision and to operate a system for incarcerating and preparing offenders for release and reintegration into society.
· No other state, local, or private entity exists that can perform TDCJ’s activities.
· TDCJ has made progress since its last Sunset review in 1999.
· While organizational structures vary, all other states use statewide agencies to provide for their criminal justice needs.
Conclusion
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s (TDCJ’s) responsibility to protect the public by assisting in community corrections, incarcerating felons, and supervising parolees continues to be needed and is important to Texas. Sunset staff evaluated the continuing need for these functions and concluded that beyond the need of protecting the public’s safety, TDCJ’s efforts in each of these areas are particularly important as the state faces a growing prison population, but with limited capacity.
By supporting community supervision of less serious offenders, TDCJ helps divert these offenders from traditional incarceration. For the more serious offenders, providing a secure environment as well as rehabilitative programs both in prison and under parole supervision helps ensure successful reintegration back into society rather than returning to prison. Additionally, the Board of Pardons and Paroles is subject to Sunset review concurrently with TDCJ. As a constitutional agency, however, the Parole Board is not subject to abolishment under the Sunset Act.