View a PDF version of our agenda.

Raise the Age: Keep Kids Out of Adult Jails and Prisons

Currently, 17-year-olds in Texas are automatically placed in the adult justice system. Locking up 17-year-olds with older prisoners increases the likelihood they will re-offend. It is critical that Texas raise the age of criminal responsibility so that 17-year-olds can be treated in the juvenile justice system when appropriate, but allow judges to transfer those younger than 18 into the adult system on a case-by-case basis.

Abolish Texas’ Driver Responsibility Program

While the Driver Responsibility Program (DRP) was a well-meaning idea created in 2003 to fund trauma centers, it has many unintended consequences. The reality is the DRP is making Texas more dangerous by creating severe economic hardship, putting more unlicensed drivers on the road, and limiting employment opportunities.

Smart Sentencing

Many minor nonviolent crimes are punished as felonies instead of misdemeanors. Most individuals who commit these minor offenses do not receive treatment for addiction or mental illness while in prison, and they are released to a lifetime of barriers to employment and housing. Lowering penalties for minor nonviolent offenses will allow more people to be put on probation and will create opportunities for them to avoid future interactions with the criminal justice system.

Increase Education and Training to Reduce Re-Incarceration

The harder it is for someone to find a job after release from prison, the greater the chance he or she will end up going back to prison. Texas should prioritize educational and vocational programs for individuals that are proven to reduce re-offending and increase workforce participation. It is also critical to ensure that criminal records made available to potential employers are accurate.

Evidence-based Improvements to Probation and Parole

In 2015, more than one-third of the 36,171 people sent to Texas prisons and state jails were locked up as a result of a “technical violation” of probation, such as missing a meeting with a probation officer or failing a drug or alcohol test, even if they did not commit a new crime. Sending these people to prison is 10 times more expensive than supervising them in the community. Missing a meeting or failing an alcohol or drug test should not lead to years in prison. Probation should be reformed to improve outcomes and reduce costs.