By Harris                                             S.C.R. No. 23
       74R3436 PAN-D
                                 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, Statistics regarding Texas' growing juvenile crime
    1-2  rate represent a sobering toll of both human and financial costs;
    1-3  and
    1-4        WHEREAS, According to the Texas Department of Public Safety,
    1-5  violent juvenile crime in Texas has risen by 52 percent over the
    1-6  course of the past decade and, between 1985 and 1991, serious
    1-7  crimes were being committed by youthful offenders in this state at
    1-8  a rate that was twice that of the national average; and
    1-9        WHEREAS, The seriousness of this pervasive problem is
   1-10  compounded by the lack of adequate juvenile justice facilities
   1-11  available for the commitment and supervision of these juvenile
   1-12  offenders; as a result, many juveniles are released too quickly
   1-13  without being made to fully realize the ramifications of their
   1-14  actions; and
   1-15        WHEREAS, Many youthful offenders who have gone on to commit
   1-16  increasingly serious crimes recount their initial encounter with
   1-17  the juvenile justice system as one that did not make much of an
   1-18  impression on them or serve in any way as a deterrent to engaging
   1-19  in future delinquent conduct; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, To combat this growing callousness on the part of
   1-21  juveniles, local law enforcement agencies have begun to address the
   1-22  problem through the development of early intervention programs that
   1-23  would target youthful offenders when they are first introduced to
   1-24  the juvenile justice system; such programs, which may involve
    2-1  visits to local juvenile facilities and other types of "shock"
    2-2  programs, have had considerable success in reducing recidivism and,
    2-3  for the sake of the next generation, it is imperative that we make
    2-4  every effort to support and expand these programs; now, therefore,
    2-5  be it
    2-6        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
    2-7  hereby encourage law enforcement agencies to develop and implement
    2-8  first offender programs targeting juveniles at risk of committing
    2-9  criminal acts.