- Reexamine Bond Schedules
- Ensure The Judiciary Has All Relevant Information When Setting Bond Amounts
- Increase Court Efficiency
- Inform Jail Inmates of All Release Options
- Strengthen Jail Reentry Practices
- Consider Utilizing Improved Electronic Monitoring Technologies
- Implement the Cite and Release Option in Appropriate Cases
Thursday, March 08, 2012
TPPF: 'Public Safety and Cost Control Solutions for Texas County Jails'
The title of the latest policy brief (pdf) from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative Austin-based think tank, is "Public Safety and Cost Control Solutions for Texas County Jails." Their recommendations touch on many themes that will be familiar to Grits readers, including:
Enjoyed the TPPF paper, and sure hope that many counties will adopt but I am frait it will take time. Por ejemplo, in my home county the jail is filled to capacity--mostly with nonviolent offenders who are minimal flight risks. But there is no audible cry in the community to change this--just "build a bigger jail". Fortunately the commissioners have demurred, choosing to spend tight money in other wasteful areas.
ReplyDeleteIs there a list of counties who are buiding/expanding last year, this year, or underway next year.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a great snapshot to see which counties are/have expanded by how many beds. I may be mistaken but seems like I can recall an article or two that caught the eye by saying something like " ...new jail/jail expansion to cut down on jail polulation/overcrowding..."
Does a new jail or jail expansion actually cut down on jail population.
@ 10:20pm....go to this link to see who is planning and who is presently building................
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tcjs.state.tx.us/docs/cnstruct.pdf
@ 5:57
ReplyDeleteThanks, wasn't aware that there were that many jail expansion projects underway across the state.
May need to go ahead and start building more prisons because fist they go to the jailhouse, then they catch the chain to the big house.
I have been told that TDCJ is putting prisoners on death row on level (punishment) for trumped up charges. That Polunski is getting drug-kingpins from other prisons that need them to be in AD-seg. Polunski doesn't have room for them, so they use the cells belonging to other DR prisoners and put them on level for long periods of time, always finding new infractions (invented by guards) to keep them there. Diabolical, if true.
ReplyDeleteGrits: What the Legislature is not aware of (or ignores) is the huge number or rural judges that refuse to take advantage of or implement many of the early-release laws. Someone needs to bring attention to how few of these Judges are properly ordering interlock, allowing early release from Probation -- even for PERFECT performance -- and underutilizing the time credit provisions for completing substance abuse courses, completing their ridiculous Community Service requirements, etc. Of course, in all candor, if you use these, you might have to cut a PAYING probationer free, and those bucks are lost for your County.
ReplyDelete