Momentum is building in Austin to do away with Texas' Driver Responsibility Program. It penalizes drivers who commit certain violations and has ultimately forced 1.2 million people to lose their license because of the added fees.
Texas lawmakers, already applauded nationally for expanding treatment and rehabilitation programs, may consider reducing some low-level drug sentences in exchange for more offenders getting the help they need to succeed once they leave prison or jail.
Taking the first step on a topic that could generate heat in the 2017 legislative session, Texas lawmakers began discussing Tuesday whether some nonviolent drug crimes should carry shorter sentences or be converted from felonies to misdemeanors.
With one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation, Texas state lawmakers are studying alternative penalties for non-violent drug offenders.
Getting caught with drugs in Texas can land you a spot behind bars, but there is a push at the state capitol to change the law.
State senators expressed bipartisan disapproval Wednesday of an unpopular program that levies large surcharges on drivers for traffic offenses, with several calling for broad changes or for scrapping it entirely.
State Senators expressed bipartisan disapproval Wednesday of an unpopular program that levies large surcharges on drivers for traffic offenses, with several calling for broad changes or scrapping it entirely.
This month, Fort Hood – one of the largest military installations in the world – and federal prosecutors are piloting a veterans’ treatment court.
Probation is a critical alternative to incarceration, where people can access community-based services while being held accountable for meeting strict requirements. Rigorous supervision can ensure people are adhering to treatment regimens and housing and employment requirements, all of which help lower rates of reoffending.
Texas’ state jail system, created in 1993, was originally intended to divert certain individuals from crowded prisons and provide them rehabilitative assistance. However, people sentenced to state jail facilities have extremely limited access to treatment and programming options, and typically have no post-release supervision. As a result, state jail releasees have the highest rates of re-arrest and re-incarceration among returning populations.
