By Harris                                             S.C.R. No. 19
       74R3437 SMC-D
                                 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS,  According to the Texas Department of Public Safety,
    1-2  violent juvenile crime in Texas has risen by 52 percent over the
    1-3  course of the past decade and, between 1985 and 1991, serious
    1-4  crimes were being committed by youthful offenders in this state at
    1-5  a rate that was twice that of the national average; and
    1-6        WHEREAS,  Efforts have begun to combat this growing problem
    1-7  through innovative preventive measures and investment in those
    1-8  interventions that will maximize positive transitions into
    1-9  adulthood;  research has indicated that delinquency is least likely
   1-10  to progress to adult criminality when at-risk youth experience one
   1-11  or both of two key life transitions:  the formation of long-term
   1-12  relationships and the attainment of gainful employment; and
   1-13        WHEREAS,  Local initiatives have brought about a majority of
   1-14  the currently popular innovative and aggressive juvenile offender
   1-15  and at-risk youth programs; as a result, the state should encourage
   1-16  and support local governments in responding to their own needs for
   1-17  services within their communities through collaborative state and
   1-18  local, public and private partnerships; now, therefore, be it
   1-19        RESOLVED,  That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   1-20  hereby encourage state agencies to work with local governments and
   1-21  private employers to develop and implement employment programs for
   1-22  juvenile offenders and at-risk youth.