Last year, Grits praised the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for publishing its annual statistical report for 2016 months earlier than usual. But it's now the end of August, and TDCJ still hasn't published the FY 2017 statistical report.
FY17 ended August 31, 2017. So it's been one year since the reporting period ended.
What that means as a practical matter is that every analysis of Texas corrections issues based on annual data must rely on information from the prison system that's now more than two years old!
That's an unnecessary delay. TDCJ has the data, which they compile for internal monthly reports that aren't posted on their website. They know exactly how many people come into, leave, and are housed in the prison at any given moment.
But the prison system benefits from public opacity. When they are criticized, they can always claim that the problems identified are old news and future data will look better. Months or years later when the stats come out, very few reporters go back to doublecheck those claims from old stories.
Grits doesn't understand, at all, why the TDCJ annual statistical report could not be compiled by the end of the calendar year in which the fiscal year ends. Certainly that would make policy debates and interim investigations by the Legislature more probative.
When the data came out months early last year, Grits took that as a sign that the new executive director, Bryan Collier, was making greater efforts to be more transparent and efficient. But now we're back to the same-old-same-old.
Totally agree! I look every few days for the 2017 report, and there is nothing. As noted, it will soon be too years behind.
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DeleteGrits, you don't understand? Well, I did 20 some odd years there. I guess your reporting can't equal hard experience. Texas law enforcement/penal personnel are about the dumbest class of fuckheads you'd ever want to be confined by never mind meet. All of em, held to the lowest standards in the world, and will ALWAYS drag their feet on ANYTHING they are forced to do. I say FUCK YOU TDCJ BOSS & ADMINISTRATOR. I hope you all get hit by a train!
DeleteWell, thats the same with their regular policies. There are new rules and such, and the last renewal is 2017, for what i know, and they have on their website the old one , of 2015.This has ruined our visits a couple of times, since they also dont want to simly check their own rules when you point them out. Its a huge mess.
ReplyDeleteLorie Davis and Bryan Collier are coverup artist. They are good ol' boys / girls to the core. This is the worst administration I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteThe Texas Board of Criminal Justice needs to hold them accountable and replace them with someone from the outside.