The Texas Smart-on-Crime Coalition’s newest report, “Smart Sentencing: The Right Strategy for Addressing Substance Use in Texas, highlights the coalition’s recommendations to address the critical issues that come with incarcerating individuals for their drug addiction. Research shows that incarceration is less effective and more costly than community supervision and treatment for low-level drug offenses. The coalition is asking state lawmakers to embrace reform, including reducing penalties for a range of state jail felony offenses, closing unnecessary facilities, reallocating funding to alternatives to incarceration, and clearing court backlogs. Smart Sentencing notes the broad-based support such reforms have among voters, as well as highlighting real stories of lived experiences from Texans overcoming obstacles from incarceration for substance use.

Download our Smart Sentencing report.