- Coverage of the hearing from the Associated Press
- An editorial in favor from the President of the Texas Association of Business, and
- A pessimistic assessment of the bill's chances in Chairman John Whitmire's Senate Criminal Justice Committee
- MORE: Hearing coverage from the Texas Observer.
RELATED: Pragmatic arguments the strongest for 'raise the age' proposal
I do definitely agree with your assessment that raising the age is a good idea for very practical reasons as well as sympathetic. Hoping to see good things come from this decision for Texas.
ReplyDeleteAs said before, Raising the Age during this same session where other major reforms are taking place in the juvenile justice system will lead to disaster. Juvenile probation departments are already facing a 5% cut in their basic supervision, which is on top of a equal cut last session, but yet still managing to keep more kids out of the state system So many departments are struggling to maintain programs and retain qualified officers that if they don't regain funding to the pre-83rd legislature then we will see a very negative impact once these reforms are enacted.
ReplyDeleteIn 2011 John Whitmire saie "At some point, because of the costs, we have to recognize that we don't need to waste one dollar incarcerating one person that doesn't really need to be behind bars. We're at that point."
ReplyDeleteHis opposition to "Raise the Age" is thus puzzling. In August 2014 TDCJ had 1786 inmates, sentenced as juveniles, to 35 years or more. How does this fit into the stated TDCJ mission to "promote positive change in offender behavior, reintegrate offenders into society"??? We all know there are far too many offenders locked up who don't need to be. It's way past time to move beyond the "tough on crime" criminal justice policy promoted by too many politicians and incorporate "smart on crime" ideas and evidence based policy changes that leave the business of reforming offenders to human service professionals.
Sentencing a 16 year old to life in prison for an armed robbery of a convenience store that netted $200 has everything to do with a philosphy based purely on revenge and punishment. This is both morally obscene and economically disastrous.
Drinking age is 21...
ReplyDeleteI'd like for Whitmire to live in a neighborhood with rampant juvenile crime. He should maybe take some of these children to rehabilitate. Like the 13 year old sentenced for murder, the 16 year old sex offender with a history of animal cruelty as well, with all victims under the age of nine. He has his head in the clouds.
ReplyDeleteOh noes! Someone busted out the SEX OFFENDER card! RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE
ReplyDelete