There were several recent items of interest in the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition's most recent newsletter, including an announcement of the publication of their long-awaited Texas "Reentry Guide." Here's the full contents of their 7/14 e-newsletter.
| "A New Start: A Re-Entry Guide for Texas " |
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TCJC proudly announces A New Start: A Re-Entry Guide for Texas - Key Information for Successful Reintegration.
This guide provides valuable information about re-entry related policies, as well as numerous regional resources in various areas of re-entry - housing, health services, employment, benefits and assistance, education, and community involvement.
Our goal with this guide is three-fold. Primarily, we want to help re-entering individuals seeking to live successfully in their communities. The guide can point them to community groups and agencies that will assist them in improving their lives and those of their families. The guide is also a tool for organization and agency leadership, as well as their supervisory personnel and local service providers. They can use this resource to provide particularized information to their clients and other staff members. Lastly, the guide will help policy-makers meet requests for information from their constituents.
Please click here to download this guide, and feel free to forward it to your colleagues or others who may benefit!
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The statewide Reentry Task Force's Community Reentry Working Group, chaired by Commissioner Roy C. Brooks of Tarrant County and vice-chaired by our own Ana Yáñez-Correa, created an online survey intended to evaluate the challenges facing re-entry providers and others in both rural and urban communities.
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We sent the survey to a diverse group of recipients, including TCJC's internal list of criminal justice practitioners, members of the Texas Reentry Task Force, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, staff members of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and its Community Justice Assistance Division, the Texas Association of Counties, the Urban County Association, participating providers of 2-1-1, and many other critical groups who are knowledgeable and care deeply about improving re-entry practices throughout Texas.
We are grateful for the support of these groups and for their willingness to forward the survey to their own internal lists of relevant contacts. Over a period of two weeks, 645 respondents provided their feedback. We thank all the respondents for taking the time to offer their invaluable input!
Click here to review the survey results.
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| Key Policy Testimony Preventing and Reducing Incidence of DWI |
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On July 8, 2010, the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice heard testimony on Charge 2: "Review statistics regarding the crime of driving while intoxicated, including accident statistics, alcohol-related deaths and injury, and other impacts on the community. Examine enforcement options used nationwide to deter driving under the influence and make recommendations to reduce the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities and accidents in Texas."
Click here to find out what TCJC had to say.
Also, a broadcast of the hearing is available online; you can watch the hearing by clicking here and selecting the July 8, 2010 broadcast.
Helping Veterans Impacted by the Criminal Justice System
On July 13, the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee and Subcommittee of Defense & Veterans' Affairs heard testimony on Joint Interim Charge 4: "Monitor the implementation of SB 1940 (81R), which established veterans court programs in Texas, and examine the link between combat stress disorders of war veterans, including post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, and the onset of criminal behavior."
Click here to read TCJC's invited testimony before this joint committee.
Also, you can view the hearing online by clicking here and selecting the July 13, 2010 broadcast. |
well, looks like they'll be re-printing that thing soon. Once Congress finishes with their FHA and unemployment laws alot of those offenders will not be able to get any social services when they exit prison.
ReplyDeleteAgain. Is there anyone out there who is interested in discussing the issue of "Amnesty" for ex-offenders that are over 50? Let these people go. There is no rational reason, certainly no rehabilitive reason to keep people over 50 on parole. Amnesty is the ultimate Re-Entry program for these people. If there is a TX politician out there listening, I would ask that you please just take a look at this idea.
ReplyDeleteThey put a TON of work on this. It is going to make a big difference in the lives of people who are struggling to put their lives together...
ReplyDelete1:48..In a word, "no."
ReplyDeleteSo am I to understand that no one gives a s@#% about my Amnesty idea? I mean really, every ex-con in TX should be on board with this. I talking about people getting your life back, being your own man, calling your own shots, not having to answer to another man, i.e., parole officer. How do you think your wife or girl friend looks at you having to answer to another man? Think about it.
ReplyDeleteAmnesty at 70
ReplyDelete"How do you think your wife or girl friend looks at you having to answer to another man? "
ReplyDeleteMaybe they should have thought of that much earlier.
I do believe that many should be put on monitors or whatever and get back into life. Like the rest of us, paying taxes, insurance and contributing along with being a father, mother or family member.
But I am not for a check out free card.
"So am I to understand that no one gives a s@#% about my Amnesty idea?"
ReplyDeleteIt isn't so much I don;t give a shit about it. The problem is that we ahve so many other issues regarding ex-offenders that yoru idea is definitely way out in left field at the moment.
Concentrate on the short distance problems first, then look at issues on the more obust side of thought.
And to make a point of your statement "How do you think your wife or girl friend looks at you having to answer to another man?", if a man values himself by the outside influences that affect him, he has many other issues besides answering to a parole officer. Strength and Fortitude come from within, not from what people say about you. A man is only a man when he comes to terms with its meaning.