Press Contact: For all media inquiries, please contact Madison Kaigh, Communications Manager, at mkaigh@TexasCJE.orgor (512) 441-8123, ext. 108.
After decades of being 'tough on crime,' a broad coalition of groups ranging from the conservative Texas Association of Business to the liberal American Civil Liberties Union are urging a pivot, and want the state to take steps to become 'smart on crime' instead, Newsradio 1200 WOAI reports.
A broad-based and diverse coalition of groups is coming together to support criminal justice reforms that will make the system more just and, at the same time, improve public safety for all Texans. The Texas Smart-On-Crime Coalition will advocate for reforms that will provide punishment that actually fits the crime, protection for the innocent and a path to redemption for those convicted of non-violent crimes so they can get back to work and be productive members of society.
A new coalition is outlining major juvenile and criminal justice reform they want to see in the next legislative session. ‘Texans Smart-on-Crime Coalition’ is looking to change state laws that criminalize nonviolent crimes, and get those people back to work.
This election season our newspaper added two questions on drug policy to questionnaires we sent candidates for state offices. Rep. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, surprised me with his answer on whether he’d support putting a medical marijuana amendment on the ballot for voters to decide.
MEDIA ADVISORY
September 15, 2014
Contact: Robert Wood
Phone: (512) 637-7709
Broad-Based Coalition Launching Smart-On-Crime Initiative
AUSTIN, TX — The Texas Smart-On-Crime Coalition will announce a wide-ranging and comprehensive criminal justice reform agenda for the 2015 Legislative Session at a Capitol news conference on Wednesday, September 17, 2014, at 10:00 a.m.
WHAT: Press conference on launch of new criminal justice reform coalition
WHO: Bill Hammond, Texas Association of Business; Traci Berry, Goodwill Central Texas; Patrick Clark, Goodwill Central Texas client who has been through the criminal justice system; Judge Edna Staudt, Williamson County; Terri Burke, ACLU of Texas; Vikrant Reddy...
Low-level drug possession arrests are ineffective and harmful to people who need community-based help, rather than jail time, a new report concludes. The report, released Tuesday by the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Grassroots Leadership, the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance and the UT Law Civil Rights Clinic, analyzed Travis County data that found people of color are disproportionately arrested for these kinds of crimes.
