By Counts H.C.R. No. 132 75R7622 T HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, There were over a million reports of crimes 1-2 committed against Texans in 1995, each one a reality that impacted 1-3 the lives of numerous people; and 1-4 WHEREAS, Restoring order, security, and protection to Texas 1-5 neighborhoods is government's most fundamental responsibility, and 1-6 a flourishing, prosperous society is impossible if our communities 1-7 are imprisoned by violence and fear; and 1-8 WHEREAS, Although the crime rate is improving and violent 1-9 offenders are serving longer sentences, law-abiding Texans deserve 1-10 better than seeing criminals shuttle back and forth between society 1-11 and jail with a recidivism rate of almost 50 percent within the 1-12 first three years of release; and 1-13 WHEREAS, Because nearly one-half of released inmates are soon 1-14 jailed again, often on more serious and violent crimes, it is 1-15 incumbent upon the State of Texas, which maintains one of the 1-16 world's largest prison systems, to continue its efforts to seek out 1-17 and enlist the aid of all methods effective at breaking the 1-18 expensive and tragic cycle of criminal behavior, and in seeing that 1-19 criminals get changed, not just released; and 1-20 WHEREAS, Most inmates will eventually be released back into 1-21 society, and such offenders need strong role models, moral 1-22 guidance, and the accountability of personal relationships to 1-23 escape the destructive habits and moral crisis that fuel criminal 1-24 behavior; offenders need an environment conducive to the growth of 2-1 confidence, accountability, self-reliance and hopefulness, and a 2-2 community that cares about transforming lives from the inside out 2-3 so that ex-offenders remain ex-offenders; and 2-4 WHEREAS, A growing body of empirical evidence gathered by 2-5 health and criminology experts demonstrates the power of religious 2-6 commitment, crime's age-old enemy, to combat antisocial values, 2-7 remold the basic beliefs and attitudes of offenders, and help them 2-8 re-enter society as contributing, self-sufficient citizens, which 2-9 benefits all Texans; and 2-10 WHEREAS, Religion's power to inhibit destructive behavior is 2-11 especially effective among juveniles -- a fast-growing segment of 2-12 our population -- many of whom are fatherless, have no fear of 2-13 dying and no concept of living, and who seem mired in a culture 2-14 marked by moral poverty and devoid of loving, responsible, and 2-15 morally upright role models; faith-based, church-centered 2-16 approaches are especially effective at insulating criminally 2-17 wayward but socially redeemable youth from the scourges of crime 2-18 and drugs; and 2-19 WHEREAS, The hundreds of millions of dollars Texas spends on 2-20 rehabilitative programs aimed at halting the revolving door of 2-21 recidivism by improving job skills, boosting education, or 2-22 defeating drug dependency are often unable to transform the inner 2-23 person and reach offenders at a deep, redeeming level; and 2-24 WHEREAS, Faith-based rehabilitation and treatment programs 2-25 offer a distinctly moral alternative to crime and prison life; such 2-26 redemptive, healing and restitution-based programs steer offenders 2-27 toward crime-free lives by providing a caring support community, 3-1 stressing reconciliation, emphasizing accountability and community 3-2 responsibilities, and extolling strong moral and family 3-3 commitments, classroom instruction, counseling and peer support, 3-4 and on-site vocational training; now, therefore, be it 3-5 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 3-6 hereby urge the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, the Texas Youth 3-7 Commission, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, and all Texas 3-8 county commissioners and sheriffs to recognize the potency of these 3-9 efforts and permit faith-based correctional programs, facilities, 3-10 and initiatives to play a more significant role in the 3-11 rehabilitation of criminal offenders by (i) encouraging more use of 3-12 faith-based programming in public prisons and jails and treating 3-13 such programs on the same basis as non-religious programs, (ii) 3-14 facilitating the operation of private, faith-based correctional 3-15 facilities for willing inmates who are nearing release, and (iii) 3-16 utilizing one-on-one, church- and faith-based programs that 3-17 intervene in the lives of willing, nonviolent offenders to 3-18 encourage positive behaviors by offering a structured and 3-19 re-adjustive program of education and spiritual nurture as a 3-20 positive alternative to incarceration or as a part of agreed-upon, 3-21 post-incarceration after-care; and, be it further 3-22 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 3-23 copy of this resolution to the chairman of the Texas Board of 3-24 Criminal Justice, the chairman of the Texas Youth Commission, the 3-25 chairman of the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, and the county 3-26 judge in each Texas county.