LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                                May 8, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Criminal Justice
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB123  by West, George "Buddy" (Relating to a requirement
               that inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
               participate in educational programs.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would direct the Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to
require an inmate who does not hold a high school diploma or general
equivalency certificate to participate in available educational
programming.  The bill would allow the department to limit participation
based on the capacity of the program and, therefore, is estimated to
have no significant fiscal impact.  Expanded program capacity is
estimated to cost $1,040 per participant per year.  The Windham School
District, which provides educational programming within TDCJ, is
currently staffed to provide services to approximately 24,000 inmates at
any one time (CJPC, 2000).  At the end of fiscal year 1999, TDCJ
reported that 53,878 inmates claimed to not have a high school diploma
or general equivalency certificate.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   696   Texas Department of Criminal Justice
LBB Staff:         JK, JC, VS