| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the review of certain privately operated residential |
|
|
facilities for persons released on parole or to mandatory |
|
|
supervision. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
|
|
(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of |
|
|
Criminal Justice. |
|
|
(2) "Releasee" means a person released on parole or to |
|
|
mandatory supervision. |
|
|
SECTION 2. REVIEW OF RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES. (a) The |
|
|
department shall review instances in which a releasee has absconded |
|
|
from supervision while being housed in a facility that is: |
|
|
(1) operated under contract with the department; and |
|
|
(2) located in a county that has a population of |
|
|
800,000 or more and is located on the international border. |
|
|
(b) The department shall analyze the factors that |
|
|
contribute to releasees absconding, including to what extent a rate |
|
|
of absconsion from a particular facility that exceeds the statewide |
|
|
average for all facilities is attributable to the types of |
|
|
releasees residing in the facility or to issues related to the staff |
|
|
of the facility. |
|
|
(c) The department shall make recommendations regarding: |
|
|
(1) improvements to the procedures used by the |
|
|
department to: |
|
|
(A) assess whether a releasee is likely to |
|
|
abscond from supervision; and |
|
|
(B) identify the appropriate residence for a |
|
|
releasee; and |
|
|
(2) legislative changes to the department's |
|
|
contracting powers, including any provisions to: |
|
|
(A) determine the most suitable private vendors |
|
|
with which to contract for the housing, supervision, and |
|
|
programmatic support of releasees; and |
|
|
(B) establish minimum requirements for the |
|
|
staffing of any facility housing releasees under a contract with |
|
|
the department. |
|
|
SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2018, the |
|
|
department shall report the results of the review and analysis |
|
|
required by Section 2 of this Act and make recommendations to the |
|
|
governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of |
|
|
representatives, and the standing legislative committees with |
|
|
primary jurisdiction over the department. |
|
|
SECTION 4. ASSISTANCE BY BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES. On |
|
|
request of the department, the Board of Pardons and Paroles shall |
|
|
provide information to the department or otherwise assist the |
|
|
department in conducting the review and preparing the report |
|
|
required by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 5. EXPIRATION. This Act expires June 1, 2019. |
|
|
SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
|
|
1, 2017. |