A couple of Texas House legislative committees will hold hearings in the next couple of weeks on criminal-justice related topics. The
House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee will meet Monday, January 11:
The Committee will meet to discuss appropriate procedures for presenting scientific evidence during the trial of criminal cases. The Committee will only hear invited testimony.
And the House Corrections Committee posted notice on these items for a
hearing scheduled January 28:
The Committee will meet to take invited and public testimony on the following items:
Charge 5 - Review the range of services provided to females in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems and recommend changes to ensure responsiveness to gender-specific issues. Review should include institutional and community supervision programs and utilization of correctional facilities that house non-adjudicated populations.
Charge 6 - Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction.
I hope the committee will look into more services for women in corrections. We absolutely need them. We have a specialized caseload for "at risk" women, and at least 80% of them have suffered from some kind of sexual abuse. Ask any residential substance abuse treatment provider, and they will confirm that this percentage also holds true for their female addicts. In so many cases, drug use is just a symptom of some much deeper issues. Not surprisingly, most of the women aren't too anxious to delve into that pain, so it's a difficult treatment issue. It would be a good investment for the legislature to fund specialized treatment for sexual abuse for women.
ReplyDeleteI hope the Committee will look into Deferred Adjudications as well as removing a record once requirements even for felonys and misdameanors have been completed. The bill has been paid, and those people should not have to suffer for the rest of their lives for something done in their past.
ReplyDeleteTDCJ is turning people out to lessen the load this corrupt Legislative body allowed to happen over the last 20 years but some will chose to commit other crimes, they have no where to look for jobs, although many are highly educated. Once a background check is done, the interview is over and never happens.
This has to stop, what this world do if Jesus had not come to suffer and die for our sins, which we continue to do the same sins over and over but yet, He continues to forgive us. Do people who have made mistakes and paid for them not deserve the same type of forgiveness? I urge all of you to get in contact with your State
Representatives, Senators as well as Sen. John Whitmire and Rep. Jerry Madden. Both of these gentlemen have the means to make changes so put pressure on the and make Texas a fair State and not continue to be the black bean in the pot!!!