By Barrientos S.B. No. 897
77R7445 GWK-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the functions of a community justice council.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 76.003, Government Code, is amended by
1-5 amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read
1-6 as follows:
1-7 (a) Within [A community justice council must be established
1-8 by the district judge or district judges in] each jurisdiction
1-9 served by a department, the [unless a board or council that was in
1-10 existence on September 1, 1991, is performing duties substantially
1-11 similar to those imposed on a] community justice council [under
1-12 this section. The council] shall ensure local control of and
1-13 responsibility for community corrections and offender
1-14 rehabilitation by directing [provide continuing policy guidance and
1-15 direction for] the development of community justice plans and
1-16 community corrections facilities and programs. The
1-17 responsibilities of a council include:
1-18 (1) maximizing resources to assist reintegrating
1-19 offenders into the community;
1-20 (2) providing services to meet the needs of victims;
1-21 and
1-22 (3) ensuring:
1-23 (A) the safety of the community through
1-24 effective programs;
2-1 (B) that offenders are accountable for their
2-2 behavior;
2-3 (C) that offenders and victims are given an
2-4 opportunity to be restored from harm caused by the behavior of the
2-5 offender; and
2-6 (D) that community expectations and priorities
2-7 are identified and that action strategies exist to meet those
2-8 expectations and priorities in public forums.
2-9 (c) The community justice council shall appoint a community
2-10 justice task force to provide support staff for the development of
2-11 a community justice plan. The task force may consist of any number
2-12 of members, but should include:
2-13 (1) the county or regional director of the Texas
2-14 Department of Human Services with responsibility for the area
2-15 served by the department;
2-16 (2) the chief of police of the most populous
2-17 municipality served by the department;
2-18 (3) the chief juvenile probation officer of the
2-19 juvenile probation office serving the most populous area served by
2-20 the department;
2-21 (4) the superintendent of the most populous school
2-22 district served by the department;
2-23 (5) the supervisor of the Department of Public Safety
2-24 region closest to the department, or the supervisor's designee;
2-25 (6) the county or regional director of the Texas
2-26 Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation with
2-27 responsibility for the area served by the department;
3-1 (7) a substance abuse treatment professional appointed
3-2 by the Council of Governments serving the area served by the
3-3 department;
3-4 (8) the department director;
3-5 (9) the local or regional representative of the
3-6 pardons and paroles division of the Texas Department of Criminal
3-7 Justice with responsibility for the area served by the department;
3-8 (10) the representative of the Texas Workforce
3-9 Commission with responsibility for the area served by the
3-10 department;
3-11 (11) the representative of the Texas Rehabilitation
3-12 Commission with responsibility for the area served by the
3-13 department;
3-14 (12) a licensed attorney who practices in the area
3-15 served by the department and whose practice consists primarily of
3-16 criminal law;
3-17 (13) a court administrator, if one serves the area
3-18 served by the department;
3-19 (14) a representative of a community service
3-20 organization that provides adult treatment, educational, or
3-21 vocational services to the area served by the department;
3-22 (15) a representative of an organization in the area
3-23 served by the department that is actively involved in issues
3-24 relating to defendants' rights, chosen by the county commissioners
3-25 and county judges of the counties served by the department; [and]
3-26 (16) an advocate for rights of victims of crime and
3-27 awareness of issues affecting victims; and
4-1 (17) a representative of the community justice
4-2 assistance division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
4-3 with responsibility for the area served by the department.
4-4 (d) Entities required to implement plans shall:
4-5 (1) at the request of the council, report periodically
4-6 to the council on programs, including program outcomes and needs;
4-7 and
4-8 (2) notify the council of any reports prepared for
4-9 other entities that contain information about the status or
4-10 performance of programs.
4-11 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.