From Solitary to the Street
What happens when prisoners go from complete isolation to complete freedom in a day?
Dip in Texas Prison Population Continues Trend
The number of men and women being held in Texas prisons fell by more than one percent in 2014, a slight dip that continues a downward trend aided by new diversion programs and a reluctance by state lawmakers to add more prison beds.
Relaxed Food Stamp Rules Meant to Help Felons
Starting Sept. 1, a new Texas law will allow people with felony drug convictions to qualify for food assistance, ending the lifetime ban they currently face. Supporters hope the change will reduce recidivism as it helps felons get back on their feet.
Getting Outside the Box: Should a criminal record mean a life sentence of unemployment?
Most people, when filling out a job application, accentuate the positive. But for the nearly 12 million Texans with criminal records, there's one question that's not so easily spun: Have you been convicted of a crime?
The Fair Sentencing and Fair Chances National Tour Heads to Austin
The Coalition for Public Safety and Right on Crime took the Fair Sentencing and Fair Chances National Tour to Texas yesterday, hosting a public event at the Texas Public Policy Foundation in Austin.
Read the rest of this article at The Coalition for Public Safety.
Nearly 600 early release prisoners headed to Texas
AUSTIN — Prisons across the country will release 6,000 inmates early and nearly 600 of them, are headed to Texas.
Smith: Fair chance hiring expands workforce; improves public safety
The Austin City Council’s Economic Opportunity Committee took bold action on Monday to pass a comprehensive Fair Chance Hiring ordinance to the full council for vote.
[2017 Session] Help Returning Individuals Restore Their Rights and Ensure a More Successful Transition to the Community Through Certificates of Relief
Policy Background:
Currently, 10 states use Certificates of Rehabilitation (CoRs) to help previously incarcerated individuals successfully reintegrate into society. In their various forms, these certificates are documents that the state provides, which lift occupational, housing, or other barriers to reentry. While Texas does not currently use CoRs, they offer a promising model to emulate.
[2017 Session] Create an Early Release Educational & Vocational Pilot Program for Individuals with Certain State Jail Offenses
Policy Background:
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.
Nearly half of Dallas inmates return to jail within 3 years. Can officials change that?
Jail is often called a revolving door, but now there's more hard evidence: Nearly half of Dallas County inmates are arrested again within three years of getting out, a new study says.