Texas Impact's Criminal Justice Agenda

7/29/2019 Texas Impact's Criminal Justice Agenda

1/16

+

Texas Impacts CriminalJustice AgendaCindy Eigler


2/16

+

What Do We Know About the

Criminal Justice System?Poverty and a failing educationsystem in many communities do notsupport an individuals success.

Tremendous Racial disparity exists inthe criminal justice system.

The United States has the highestincarceration rate in the world.


3/16


4/16

+Texas Impacts Criminal Justice

AgendaThe criminalization of individualswith mental illness

Advocating for and supportingrecent reforms in the juvenile

justice system


5/16

+

Roles for the Faith Community

Public Education

Public Education


6/16

+

Administrative Segregation

Individuals held in administrativesegregation are kept in a cell for 23hours a day, denied humancontact, and generally are unableto participate in rehabilitation,education, or religiousprogramming.


7/16

+

Facts: Administrative Segregation

Texas is home to the largest prison system in the country housingover 150,000 individuals in 111 prisons throughout the state.

In 2011, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) housed8,784 prisoners over 5 percent of its total prison and jailpopulation in administrative segregation.

In 2011, the average length of stay in administrative segregation inTexas was 3.2 years.

In 2008, over 1,000 individuals from the TDCJ were released

directly from administrative segregation into the community.In 2011, more than a quarter of the individuals held inadministrative segregation were identified as having a seriousmental health or mental retardation diagnosis.


8/16

+

Join the Movement!

Join with other faith leaders and Texas Impact to oppose the useof administrative segregation. Sign onto Texas Interfaith Leaders Statement on the Use of Administrative Segregation

in Texas Prisons in the 83rd Texas Legislature and becomepart of the movement for change.http://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rd

Speak with your legislators about implementing third party reviewof administrative segregation practices in Texas.

Support upcoming legislation banning the use of administrativesegregation for young people under 26 and for individuals with an

Axis I or Axis II diagnosis.
http://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rdhttp://texasimpact.org/content/sign-texas-interfaith-leader-statement-about-administrative-segregation-83rd


9/16

+

Juvenile Justice in Texas

In Texas, Latino youth account for 44% of thepopulation, African American youth make up 13%,and White youth comprise 40% of the population;

Latino youth are almost half of the referrals tothe juvenile system, African American nearly 25%and White youth nearly 26%.

In 2010, 116,498 young people ages 10-16 werearrested in Texas and 86,548 were referred to their local juvenile probation department.


10/16

+

Facts: Juvenile Justice

Average age of youth entering the system is 15.

Eighty percent of youth were attending regular school or receiving home schooling.

Most offenses committed by females are status offenses andmen are responsible for the majority of misdemeanors, feloniesand probation violations.

270 youth were certified to stand trial in adult criminal court.


11/16

+

Facts: Juvenile Detention Facilities

Seventy-nine percent of youth come from single parent homes.

Fifty-six percent of youth come from low-income families.

Forty-four percent of youth have family members with history of criminal behavior.

Seventy-two percent of youth need drug or alcohol treatment.

The median reading achievement level is 6 th grade, and

median math achievement level is 5 th grade.

Eighty-three percent of youth has IQs below the mean score of 100.


12/16

+

Recent Juvenile Justice Reforms

2007- law enforcement officers began visiting all TYC secure facilities toinvestigate complaints of sexual misconduct.

2007 March- TYC placed under conservatorship. Office of Inspector Generaland Office of Independent Ombudsman created.

2008- New executive commissioner appointed as head TYC andconservatorship label was eliminated.

2009- Significant legislative reform passed with a focus on providing morecommunity-based alternatives to detention, prioritizing reentry support andservices, and improving mental healthcare at juvenile facilities.

2011- Senate Bill 653 calls for the merging of the two State agenciesresponsible for juvenile justice, the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) and theTexas Juvenile Probation Commission. The new, and unified Texas JuvenileJustice Department (TJJD) should better be able to address problems at ever level and provide a more effective and consistent continuum of services.


13/16

+

Develop a Local Juvenile JusticeProject in Your Community!

Organize a training facilitated by Texas Impact staff in your community.

Plan a visit to your local juvenile justice facility.

Work with Texas Impact staff to develop concrete steps your community can do to support reforms.

Participate in a community-based partners conference in the

spring to share and learn from other local groups and becomemore effective.


14/16

+

Other Important Criminal JusticeIssues for the 83 rd Session

State jail reforms/closures

Reduce use of private prisons/jails

Reduce licensing barriers and employer liability for hiringformerly incarcerated individuals

Encourage use of policies and programs that decrease the sizeof the prison population.

Alternative to incarceration programsProbation/Parole reforms

Drug courts


15/16

+

An Opportunity for Change: SunsetReview of Criminal Justice Agencies

In 1977, the Texas Legislature created the Sunset AdvisoryCommission to identify and eliminate waste, duplication, and

inefficiency in government agencies.The 12-member Commission is a legislative body that reviews thepolicies and programs of more than 150 government agenciesevery 12 years.

The Commission questions the need for each agency, looks for

potential duplication of other public services or programs, andconsiders new and innovative changes to improve each agency'soperations and activities.

The Commission seeks public input through hearings andrecommends actions on each agency to the full Legislature.


16/16

+

Thank you!

Cindy Eigler, LMSW

[email protected]

512-472-3903
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Documents

Texas Impact's Criminal Justice Agenda