1-1 By: Sibley, et al. S.C.R. No. 44 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 1997; March 12, 1997, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; 1-4 May 15, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, 1-5 Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-7 WHEREAS, There were over a million reports of crimes 1-8 committed against Texans in 1995, each one a reality that impacted 1-9 the lives of numerous people; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Restoring order, security, and protection to Texas 1-11 neighborhoods is government's most fundamental responsibility, and 1-12 a flourishing, prosperous society is impossible if our communities 1-13 are imprisoned by violence and fear; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Although the crime rate is improving and violent 1-15 offenders are serving longer sentences, law-abiding Texans deserve 1-16 better than seeing criminals shuttle back and forth between society 1-17 and jail with a recidivism rate of almost 50 percent within the 1-18 first three years of release; and 1-19 WHEREAS, Because nearly one-half of released inmates are soon 1-20 jailed again, often on more serious and violent crimes, it is 1-21 incumbent upon the State of Texas, which maintains one of the 1-22 world's largest prison systems, to continue its efforts to seek out 1-23 and enlist the aid of all methods effective at breaking the 1-24 expensive and tragic cycle of criminal behavior and in seeing that 1-25 criminals get changed, not just released; and 1-26 WHEREAS, Most inmates will eventually be released back into 1-27 society, and such offenders need strong role models, moral 1-28 guidance, and the accountability of personal relationships to 1-29 escape the destructive habits and moral crisis that fuel criminal 1-30 behavior; offenders need an environment conducive to the growth of 1-31 confidence, accountability, self-reliance and hopefulness, and a 1-32 community that cares about transforming lives from the inside out 1-33 so that ex-offenders remain ex-offenders; and 1-34 WHEREAS, A growing body of empirical evidence gathered by 1-35 health and criminology experts demonstrates the power of religious 1-36 commitment, crime's age-old enemy, to combat antisocial values, 1-37 remold the basic beliefs and attitudes of offenders, and help them 1-38 re-enter society as contributing, self-sufficient citizens, which 1-39 benefits all Texans; and 1-40 WHEREAS, Religion's power to inhibit destructive behavior is 1-41 especially effective among juveniles--a fast-growing segment of our 1-42 population--many of whom are fatherless, have no fear of dying and 1-43 no concept of living, and who seem mired in a culture marked by 1-44 moral poverty and devoid of loving, responsible, and morally 1-45 upright role models; faith-based, church-centered approaches are 1-46 especially effective at insulating criminally wayward but socially 1-47 redeemable youth from the scourges of crime and drugs; and 1-48 WHEREAS, The hundreds of millions of dollars Texas spends on 1-49 rehabilitative programs aimed at halting the revolving door of 1-50 recidivism by improving job skills, boosting education, or 1-51 defeating drug dependency are often unable to transform the inner 1-52 person and reach offenders at a deep, redeeming level; and 1-53 WHEREAS, Faith-based rehabilitation and treatment programs 1-54 offer a distinctly moral alternative to crime and prison life; such 1-55 redemptive, healing and restitution-based programs steer offenders 1-56 toward crime-free lives by providing a caring support community, 1-57 stressing reconciliation, emphasizing accountability and community 1-58 responsibilities, and extolling strong moral and family 1-59 commitments, classroom instruction, counseling and peer support, 1-60 and on-site vocational training; now, therefore, be it 1-61 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-62 hereby urge the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, the Texas Youth 1-63 Commission, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, and all Texas 1-64 county commissioners and sheriffs to recognize the potency of these 2-1 efforts and permit faith-based correctional programs, facilities, 2-2 and initiatives to play a more significant role in the 2-3 rehabilitation of criminal offenders by (i) encouraging more use of 2-4 faith-based programming in public prisons and jails and treating 2-5 such programs on the same basis as non-religious programs, (ii) 2-6 facilitating the operation of private, faith-based correctional 2-7 facilities for willing inmates who are nearing release, and (iii) 2-8 utilizing one-on-one, church-based and faith-based programs that 2-9 intervene in the lives of willing, nonviolent offenders to 2-10 encourage positive behaviors by offering a structured and 2-11 re-adjustive program of education and spiritual nurture as a 2-12 positive alternative to incarceration or as a part of agreed-upon, 2-13 post-incarceration after-care; and, be it further 2-14 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 2-15 copy of this resolution to the chairman of the Texas Board of 2-16 Criminal Justice, the chairman of the Texas Youth Commission, the 2-17 chairman of the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, and the county 2-18 judge in each Texas county. 2-19 * * * * *