By:  Zaffirini                                        S.C.R. No. 17
                             SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, Experts consider domestic violence to be a learned
    1-2  behavior in many instances, which indicates that effective
    1-3  intervention requires a therapeutic approach; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, Studies of group programs for violent men ordered
    1-5  into treatment show recidivism rates as low as four percent, and
    1-6  other studies found that between two-thirds and three-fourths of
    1-7  men who completed voluntary programs remained nonviolent; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, Many perpetrators of domestic violence are not
    1-9  provided an opportunity to modify their abusive behavior because of
   1-10  a lack of intervention programs in Texas; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, In 1989, the 71st Legislature established the
   1-12  Battering Intervention and Prevention Project as part of the
   1-13  community justice assistance division of the Texas Department of
   1-14  Criminal Justice; the project, Texas' first direct involvement in
   1-15  domestic violence prevention through specialized programs to
   1-16  rehabilitate offenders, is a vital supplement to law enforcement
   1-17  and criminal justice systems in responding to domestic violence;
   1-18  now, therefore, be it
   1-19        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   1-20  hereby request the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to raise
   1-21  the funding priority of all diversion targeted programs including,
   1-22  but not limited to, battering intervention and prevention programs
   1-23  in order to increase offender services and provide adequate
    2-1  counseling; and, be it further
    2-2        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
    2-3  hereby request that any additional discretionary Texas Department
    2-4  of Criminal Justice funds be used to fund new and innovative
    2-5  programs which include, but are not limited to, battering
    2-6  intervention and prevention programs.