By Ramsay                                            H.C.R. No. 244
         77R4520 RVH-D                           
                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, The traditional response to instances of criminal
 1-2     behavior has been to subject the offender to a variety of
 1-3     sanctions, including adjudication, probation, detention, and
 1-4     incarceration; while these approaches may also serve as a deterrent
 1-5     to future crime, they generally respond to criminal behavior after
 1-6     the fact and do little to break the vicious cycle of crime; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, The state's growing prison population, including an
 1-8     increasing number of new commitments to Texas Youth Commission
 1-9     facilities, and the rising costs associated with serving those
1-10     populations under state supervision, have heightened awareness of
1-11     the need to explore alternative, less costly, but effective
1-12     approaches, such as prevention and early intervention services that
1-13     aim to divert certain youth away from criminal activity; and
1-14           WHEREAS, In its interim report to the 77th Legislature, the
1-15     House Committee on County Affairs illustrated the value of such an
1-16     approach in its finding that 93 percent of the youth who have
1-17     received early intervention services through the Department of
1-18     Protective and Regulatory Services have not been referred to
1-19     juvenile probation; and
1-20           WHEREAS, The cost of failing to provide appropriate
1-21     interventions may be inferred from research by the National
1-22     Institute of Justice indicating that abused and neglected children
1-23     are 53 percent more likely to be arrested as juveniles and 38
 2-1     percent more likely to be arrested as adults when compared to
 2-2     children who have not been abused or neglected; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, The committee mindfully acknowledges the interim
 2-4     testimony given by witnesses that expressed frustration with the
 2-5     lack of coordination between state and local government entities
 2-6     and community-based service organizations in delivering prevention
 2-7     and early intervention services, with 17 state agencies providing
 2-8     funding for at least 34 at-risk programs; and
 2-9           WHEREAS, The legislature has duly recognized the important
2-10     role that prevention and early intervention services play in
2-11     targeting at-risk behaviors and other factors that lead to child
2-12     abuse, drug use, delinquency, running away, truancy, and dropping
2-13     out of school; and
2-14           WHEREAS, In 1999, legislation was enacted that created the
2-15     prevention and early intervention services division within the
2-16     department to consolidate the programs and services that target
2-17     children and their families who are susceptible to at-risk
2-18     behaviors; and
2-19           WHEREAS, The consolidation of prevention and early
2-20     intervention services within the jurisdiction of a single state
2-21     agency will help deliver a unified system of services that local
2-22     entities can use to meet the specific, individual needs of an
2-23     at-risk child and, at the same time, maximize federal, state, and
2-24     local resources; and
2-25           WHEREAS, In keeping with its interim charge to study the
2-26     coordination of services for at-risk youth at the local level, the
2-27     House Committee on County Affairs recommends in its report to the
 3-1     77th Legislature that additional efforts be made in nonurban areas
 3-2     to build a comprehensive and cohesive system for delivering
 3-3     prevention and early intervention services to youth at risk of
 3-4     future criminality; now, therefore, be it
 3-5           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
 3-6     hereby direct the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services,
 3-7     in conjunction with the United Ways of Texas, to coordinate all
 3-8     appropriate state agency resources with those of interested
 3-9     community groups in five nonurban areas, as identified by the House
3-10     Committee on County Affairs, to assess the needs of those
3-11     communities and to ensure a continuum of prevention and early
3-12     intervention services to youth who are at risk of entering the
3-13     criminal justice system; and, be it further
3-14           RESOLVED, That in developing plans to provide such services
3-15     in nonurban areas, the department seek partnerships with the Texas
3-16     Municipal League, the Texas Association of Counties, Texas A&M
3-17     Agriculture Extension offices, the Texas Youth Commission, the
3-18     Councils of Governments in those areas, the criminal justice
3-19     division and the Texas Commission on Volunteerism and Community
3-20     Service in the Office of the Governor, the Justices of the Peace
3-21     and Constables Association, and faith-based groups in the local
3-22     communities as well as local youth; and, be it further
3-23           RESOLVED, That the department submit a full report of its
3-24     findings and recommendations to the Office of the Governor, and to
3-25     the 78th Texas Legislature before it convenes in January 2003; and,
3-26     be it further
3-27           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
 4-1     copy of this resolution to the executive director of the Department
 4-2     of Protective and Regulatory Services and to the chair of the Board
 4-3     of Protective and Regulatory Services.