Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1575 by Dutton (Relating to juvenile delinquency; providing a criminal penalty.), As Engrossed
The bill would amend the Penal Code by expanding the offense of prohibited substances and items in correctional facility or on property of Texas Department of Criminal Justice to include juvenile correctional and detention facilities and Texas Youth Commission Property as areas where specified substances and items are prohibited. The offense is punishable as a felony of the third degree. The increased workload and demand for resources as a result this provision of the bill would probably not be substantial.
The bill would also amend the Human Resources Code by allowing for children with determinate sentences to be released under supervision without approval of the juvenile court that entered the order of commitment if not more than nine months remain before discharge date. The Texas Youth Commission (TYC) estimates that such a change in release policy would decrease the TYC institutional average daily population by 5 persons and increase the parole supervision population by 5 persons in terms of average daily population.