The House budget matched the Senate's inclusion of $105.2 million for
TDCJ correctional officers salary increases of 5 percent, but failed to
pay for them with prison closures the way they did on the Senate side..
While the Texas Senate budget suggested closing two prison units in the next biennium, saving $97.3 million, the House budget approved yesterday not only foresees no closure of adult prison units but anticipates spending $19.5 million to buy an empty unit constructed by Jones County for which the county can find no prisoners. Locals in Jones County and Mineral Wells, where the Senate would close a private facility, have been lobbying for more units than the state needs, but Heaven knows why the House wants to keep open the ignominious Dawson State Jail. Including the extra money to bail out Jones County, the House decision to buy a prison instead of closing two will mean an extra $116.8 million in incarceration costs over the biennium for those line items compared to the Senate budget.
The House also lowered expenditures set by the Senate for prison healthcare by $14.3 million, but that's $55 million below what TDCJ said it needed for the line item, which took a nine-figure haircut in the last biennium. Unless the Legislature significantly reduces incarceration levels, you can bet prison healthcare will cost more than that.
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department would receive $15.7 million less under the House budget than the Senate budget.
The differences must be ironed out in conference committee.
Via HRO and summaries of the House and Senate budgets (all large pdfs).
So much stupid going on in Texas Grits can hardly keep up with it.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who thought that this year would mark a return to sanity and adequate funding better get ready for bitg disappointments.
ReplyDeleteThere is no way the Senate will just roll over and agree to what the house wants. People have seem to forgot that Sen Whitmire and Sen West want Dawson closed badly. West was even on the news last month saying Dawson WILL close. 25 special interest groups will also just not go away with out their voices being heard. Plus the fact health care and TJJD get less money through the house version will not sit well either.
ReplyDeleteCheck and see how much money was spent lobbying for those private prisons recently. That might tell you why the House doesn't want to close them. And see who owns stock in them too...
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, this is starting to have a strong stench. When you involve politicians with large sums of money, things start to happen. Isn't it funny that some facilities remain open despite their shortcomings? Yes, power & influence are at the top of this pile of shit.
ReplyDeleteIf the House side of the budget stands, with its goodies, this is corny capitalism using corrections as its hedge against inflation, again. The way of the "conservative" is less prisons and more innovative methods of enforcement.
ReplyDeleteI guess some politicians failed to notice prison gangs are now targeting public officials. Mineral Wells is a gang strong hold with over 117 cell phones found there last year. Underfunding the prison system and bringing in unsafe private prisons that take short cuts on staffing is why prison gangs are so strong in Texas and quickly gaining cartel status. Running underfunded, unstaffed prisons leads inmates to join blood-in blood-out prison gangs for protectIon leading to an increase in gang membership.
ReplyDeleteSo much for "better than 50/50," Senator Whitmire.
ReplyDeleteThe famous senator , says he is going to save the prison system money, closing down prison, making headlines, maybe senator need to see for yourself how, currently the prison system works, past 8years you have wanted to close mineral wells facility down? What happens when does close down senator, check the public record ,the property is owned by that company, how is going to affect you when out of state offenders could be coming , then how are you senator going to cover up your area is being the worst with gangs, assaults, and don't get your favorite cell phones! Blame game is your key campaign , I hope your voters support you when, you release more dangerous offenders in their backyards. Finally question head of budget , how much is state of Texas paying you to lead the charge , no that's not right it's your private donation that help make your vote.
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