tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post3402970799764610717..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Justice solutions proffered at TPPF orientationGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-30187497283049546712011-01-18T20:15:51.688-06:002011-01-18T20:15:51.688-06:00I find Whitmire eluding to 1500 youth in TYC as eq...I find Whitmire eluding to 1500 youth in TYC as equivalent to the size of an austin middle school as laughable. It sounds like he wants to have fewer and larger institutions which is exactly against the models which show effectiveness. I wish they would make up their minds. This TYC back and forth is ridiculous. They need people with long-term vision to make these legislative decisions, not political cover up and short term budget solutions. I say abolish the legislature and start over.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-7245958279090940862011-01-18T13:37:08.655-06:002011-01-18T13:37:08.655-06:00I found this discussion that others might also fin...I found this discussion that others might also find worthwhile:<br /><br /><br />http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/for-ex-prisoners-a-haven-away-from-the-streets/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1austex1151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-24037648799049763692011-01-17T10:20:06.290-06:002011-01-17T10:20:06.290-06:008:57: The incarceration rate is down slightly, aft...8:57: The incarceration rate is down slightly, after decades of expanding MUCH <a href="http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2007/01/texas-incarceration-far-outstrips.html" rel="nofollow">faster than population</a>, but it's not gone down nearly as much as the crime rate.<br /><br />There's a long way to go before actual carceral needs match the overbuilt system we have. There's a reason our recidivism rates are less than half the national average: We're incarcerating too many people who aren't a significant threat to re-offend.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-41096886086997864762011-01-16T20:57:14.005-06:002011-01-16T20:57:14.005-06:00Let's see ... crime rate is down so incarcerat...Let's see ... crime rate is down so incarceration rate is down as well. Why is the correlation reversed? What do you think will happen when the crime rate goes back up? Communities will be the one's to suffer.Need to spend some time building an infrastructure that allows for fluctaution up and down with the crime rate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-13871979679277048912011-01-14T11:13:45.854-06:002011-01-14T11:13:45.854-06:00what i though was funny was this statement!
"...what i though was funny was this statement!<br /><br />"Sen. Whitmire, declaring that some 3,099 youth have successfully completed pretrial diversion since 2009. She said this was important because anyone who thinks a juvenile record is secret is "kidding themselves." <br /><br />this sen is an IDIOT or deluded if they don't think these 3,099 poor kids don't have a RECORD NOW becasue of their interaction with the police and justice departmetn is the one who's KIDDING THEMSELVES! right up to a level of stupidity that reaches a CRIMINAL LEVEL!rodsmithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-26413761633377806522011-01-14T01:17:25.374-06:002011-01-14T01:17:25.374-06:00Sen Madden said: 'There are three types of off...Sen Madden said: 'There are three types of offenders, he said: Those who will always be back, those who will never be back, and "swingers" who could go either way. Spending treatment resources on the first two groups is a waste, he said, and accurate risk assessments are the key to distinguishing between them and those who would benefit from rehabilitative services.'<br /><br />I can see what he is saying, and I know that when money is tight, you have to focus on things that will benefit the most, but saying that directing rehabilitative services on anyone but his "swingers" is a waste will only go so far to improving things for the majority.<br /><br />For those who will "always be back", you need to look at why that is the case. If there are things that can be fixed, they should be done, to at least try and move these inmates into the "swingers" group.<br /><br />For those who will "never be back", should they be in prison in the first place, and what is it that makes assessors so sure that they will not return to prison? If that could be identified, then those things could be worked on with the "swingers" and the "always" to reduce their numbers too.<br /><br />I don't like the idea of writing someone off completely with the use of some subjective crystal ball gazing.sunray's wenchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-22263372932101454092011-01-14T01:15:57.465-06:002011-01-14T01:15:57.465-06:00Sen Madden said: 'There are three types of off...Sen Madden said: 'There are three types of offenders, he said: Those who will always be back, those who will never be back, and "swingers" who could go either way. Spending treatment resources on the first two groups is a waste, he said, and accurate risk assessments are the key to distinguishing between them and those who would benefit from rehabilitative services.'<br /><br />I can see what he is saying, and I know that when money is tight, you have to focus on things that will benefit the most, but saying that directing rehabilitative services on anyone but his "swingers" is a waste will only go so far to improving things for the majority. <br /><br />For those who will "always be back", you need to look at why that is the case. If there are things that can be fixed, they should be done, to at least try and move these inmates into the "swingers" group.<br /><br />For those who will "never be back", should they be in prison in the first place, and what is it that makes assessors so sure that they will not return to prison? If that could be identified, then those things could be worked on with the "swingers" and the "always" to reduce their numbers too.<br /><br />I don't like the idea of writing someone off completely with the use of some subjective crystal ball gazing.sunray's wenchhttp://www.helium.com/items/1653749-parent-in-prisonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-75526299451629328302011-01-13T21:59:23.294-06:002011-01-13T21:59:23.294-06:00@6:53 - I didn't see Rissie there. I did get t...@6:53 - I didn't see Rissie there. I did get to say "howdy" to Sharon Keller, though. Despite my occasional criticisms of her on this blog over the years, I have to say she's always very gracious and polite.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-44485225048432401072011-01-13T19:09:58.839-06:002011-01-13T19:09:58.839-06:00This is all quite hopeful, almost like a dream. I...This is all quite hopeful, almost like a dream. I hope some of it comes true. Sen. Whitmire takes a lot of flak from the people I work around but he clearly is engaged and interested in the problem...and since he's well established in government he is perhaps our most important ally.Prison Dochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03651611135066437902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-17503557259097430072011-01-13T18:56:52.535-06:002011-01-13T18:56:52.535-06:00Whitmire, for once, makes a lot of good points. M...Whitmire, for once, makes a lot of good points. More diversion programs for juvies makes incredibly good sense. He seems fixated, however with his idea that TYC institutions should be built near the urban areas, while ignoring the history of such institutions. Bottom line - TYC cannot compete for employees in the urban areas. Hamilton in Bryan had to close - TYC was left with hiring those who could not get a job anywhere else. Al Price in Bmt - enough said. Corsicana and Mart - both near Waco. Very hard to staff. He talks about not being able to hire professionals like psychologists in the rural areas - perhaps he should look at the pay scale for those types of positions. There are certainly more of them in the urban areas, but the good ones won't work for what TYC pays. <br /><br />TYC needs to continue downsizing. A good place to start would be with all those folks in Central Office - especially the ones who got those big pay raises. I cannot fathom how the HR dept could be larger today than when it was when TYC had almost 3 times the number of employees. I can surely understand how Whitmire would be confounded by the growth in administrators during a shrinkage in front line personnel. <br /><br />I totally support the idea of scrapping TYC and TJPC and creating a new agency. Do it the way the Sunset Commission recommended. Have a transition group, write policy, interview current employees of both agencies, then transfer the good ones into the new agency and let the rest go.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-38626451204408126022011-01-13T18:53:28.324-06:002011-01-13T18:53:28.324-06:00Very encouraging information. Just curious... was...Very encouraging information. Just curious... was Rissie Owens in attendance?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com