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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study regarding a supervised reentry program for |
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certain inmates nearing their date of discharge from the Texas |
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Department of Criminal Justice. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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(1) "Board" means the Board of Pardons and Paroles. |
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(2) "Department" means the Texas Department of |
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Criminal Justice. |
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SECTION 2. STUDY. The board and the department shall |
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jointly conduct a study regarding the implementation of a |
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supervised reentry program for inmates nearing their date of |
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discharge from the department. In conducting the study, the board |
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and the department shall examine whether: |
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(1) a parole panel should be statutorily required to |
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order the release of an inmate to a supervised reentry program if |
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the inmate is eligible for release on parole but has not been |
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released on parole or to mandatory supervision on the later of the |
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following dates, as determined by the actual calendar time the |
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inmate has served, without consideration of good conduct time: |
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(A) one year before the date on which the inmate |
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will discharge the inmate's sentence; or |
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(B) the date on which the inmate will have served |
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90 percent of the inmate's sentence; |
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(2) the department should be required to make |
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arrangements, to the extent practicable and before an inmate is |
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discharged, for the inmate's supervised reentry into the community; |
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(3) the inmate's supervised reentry program should |
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provide the inmate with skills necessary to make a transition from |
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incarceration to the community, including providing the inmate with |
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appropriate substance abuse treatment, counseling, and other |
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social service programs; |
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(4) a parole panel releasing an inmate to a supervised |
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reentry program should require the inmate as a condition of that |
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release to participate fully in all treatment and counseling |
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programs provided by the department; |
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(5) an inmate who fails to comply with a condition of |
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release to a supervised reentry program should be subject to |
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revocation or other sanctions in the same manner and under the same |
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procedures as an inmate who fails to comply with conditions of |
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release on parole or to mandatory supervision; |
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(6) the inmate's period of supervised reentry should |
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be computed by subtracting from the term for which the inmate was |
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sentenced the calendar time the inmate served on the sentence |
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before the inmate's release to a supervised reentry program; |
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(7) the time served by the inmate on supervised |
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reentry should be computed as additional calendar time the inmate |
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served on the sentence; and |
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(8) an inmate released to a supervised reentry program |
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should be monitored through a super-intensive supervision program. |
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SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than May 1, 2010, the board |
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and the department shall jointly report the results of the study |
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conducted under this Act to the governor, the lieutenant governor, |
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the speaker of the house of representatives, the Criminal Justice |
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Legislative Oversight Committee, and the standing committees in the |
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senate and the house of representatives that have primary |
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jurisdiction over corrections. |
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SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. This Act expires September 1, 2010. |
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SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |