This website will be unavailable from Thursday, May 30, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. through Monday, June 3, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. due to data center maintenance.
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT STATEMENT
87TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
March 20, 2021
TO:
Honorable Nicole Collier, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB703 by Gervin-Hawkins (Relating to the imposition of consecutive sentences for more than one criminal offense of injury to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual arising out of the same criminal episode.), As Introduced
The provisions of the bill addressing sentencing are the subject of this analysis. The bill would amend the Penal Code as it relates to the imposition of consecutive sentences for certain offenses arising out of the same criminal episode. Under existing statute, only certain offenses may be combined for the imposition of consecutive sentences.
The impact of the provisions of the bill would be apparent among individuals received into state correctional institutions with concurrent sentences and would now now be eligible for consecutive sentences under the bill's provisions. The average annual number of persons with concurrent sentences and eligible under the bill's provisions averaged 200 between fiscal years 2018 through 2020.
An increase in the practice of imposing consecutive sentences is expected to result in additional demands upon the correctional resources of the State due to lengthier sentences for those confined within state correctional institutions. Assuming a stable ratio of consecutive to concurrent sentencing, of the 200 individuals, 39 could qualify for a consecutive sentence.
This analysis assumes implementing the provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions would not result in a significant impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources.