BILL ANALYSIS
By: Allen, Ray
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Current law does not give the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (Department) the authority to institute a program to house inmate mothers with their infants. During fiscal year 2004, the Department admitted over two hundred pregnant inmates with a three year or less sentence. Once the babies are born, they are taken from their mother and not reunited until the mother is released from prison. As a result, the baby and the mother cannot bond. The mother is returned to her prison unit without a program to develop the hands-on parenting skills and bonding needed to give the inmate mother and infant the best chance at a productive life.
C.S.H.B. 1635 authorizes the Department to implement a residential infant care and parenting program for mothers who are confined by the department
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, by adding Sec. 501.022, which requires the department to implement a residential infant care and parenting program
for mothers who are confined by the department. To the extent practicable, the department is required to model the program after The Federal Bureau of Prisons' Mothers and Infants Together program operated under contract in Fort Worth.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The substitute changes the model program from the Texas Youth Commission to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Mothers and Infants Together program operated under contract in Fort Worth.