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 […]
AUSTIN, TX – Texas’ largest statewide effort to reform the state’s criminal justice system today lauded the Texas Legislature for their work in making the system smarter, safer and more cost effective. From women’s dignity legislation to occupational licensing reform, criminal justice reform generated broad-based, bipartisan support during this year’s Legislative Session. “Criminal justice reform […]
On International Women’s Day, formerly incarcerated women, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers, and members of the Texas Smart-On-Crime Coalition stood together to discuss the impact of the state’s criminal justice system on women and to highlight proposed reforms under consideration by the Texas Legislature.
The Texas Smart-On-Crime Coalition announced its support for Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa’s occupational licensing reform bill (SB 523) and Rep. Jeff Leach’s bill (HB 1342), filed today at the State Capitol.
The current bail system is corrupt and broken. A person’s wealth should never decide their freedom, but that’s exactly what’s happening in Texas.
State Representative James White says the Texas Legislature must pass legislation that raises the age or criminal responsibility or pay the price with same poor outcomes: less safe communities, high costs, and fewer young Texans becoming future productive citizens
Since 2003, an obscure Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) program has trapped more than a million Texans in a cycle of debt, opponents say. For nearly as long, lawmakers critical of the program have sought to repeal it. Read the rest of this article at Texas Observer.
NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Marc Mauer of the Sentencing Project and Marc Levin of Right on Crime about the possible impacts of seeking the strongest possible charges for drug crimes. Read the rest of this article at NPR.
An alternative to the state’s despised “driver responsibility program,” a plan that would essentially spread the fiscal pain to everyone who gets a traffic ticket in Texas, is now in the Senate’s hands. The House on Saturday passed House Bill 2068 on a 133-4 vote, and its sponsor, state Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, said he […]
Doug Smith and Reggie Smith didn’t have much in common until they both went to prison. They are now deeply involved in a movement of formerly incarcerated individuals advocating for criminal justice reform. Read the rest of this article at The Utopian.