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