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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the supervised reentry into the community of certain |
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inmates nearing their date of discharge from the Texas Department |
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of Criminal Justice. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 508, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 508.1491 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 508.1491. SUPERVISED REENTRY PROGRAM. (a) This |
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section applies to an inmate who is eligible for release on parole |
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but who has not been released on parole or to mandatory supervision |
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under this chapter before the date described by Subsection (b). |
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(b) A parole panel shall order the release of an inmate to |
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the supervised reentry program described by Subsection (c) on the |
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later of the following dates, as determined by the actual calendar |
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time the inmate has served, without consideration of good conduct |
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time: |
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(1) one year before the date on which the inmate will |
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discharge the inmate's sentence; or |
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(2) the date on which the inmate will have served 90 |
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percent of the inmate's sentence. |
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(c) The department, to the extent practicable and before an |
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inmate is discharged, shall make arrangements for the inmate's |
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supervised reentry into the community. The inmate's supervised |
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reentry program shall provide the inmate with skills necessary to |
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make a transition from incarceration to the community, including |
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providing the inmate with appropriate substance abuse treatment, |
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counseling, and other social service programs. |
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(d) A parole panel releasing an inmate under this section |
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shall impose conditions that require the inmate to participate |
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fully in all treatment and counseling programs provided by the |
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department and may impose any other conditions determined by the |
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panel to be appropriate. An inmate who fails to comply with a |
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condition imposed under this subsection is subject to revocation or |
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other sanctions in the same manner and under the same procedures as |
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an inmate who fails to comply with conditions of parole or mandatory |
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supervision. |
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(e) The period of supervised reentry is computed by |
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subtracting from the term for which the inmate was sentenced the |
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calendar time served on the sentence. The time served on supervised |
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reentry is computed as calendar time, except that if an inmate's |
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participation in the supervised reentry program is revoked, the |
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inmate does not receive credit against the remainder of the |
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inmate's sentence for any time served in the program. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply to any |
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inmate serving a term of confinement in the Texas Department of |
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Criminal Justice on or after the effective date of this Act, |
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regardless of when the inmate was sentenced to serve that term. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |