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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an annual report on the use of administrative |
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segregation in facilities operated by or under contract with the |
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Texas 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. Chapter 493, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Section 493.036 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 493.036. REPORT ON USE OF ADMINISTRATIVE SEGREGATION. |
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(a) In this section: |
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(1) "Administrative segregation" includes solitary |
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confinement, confinement on death row, and any other form of |
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restrictive housing. |
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(2) "Offender" means an inmate or state jail defendant |
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confined in a facility operated by or under contract with the |
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department. |
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(3) "Rehabilitative program" means a program, |
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including an activity or service, provided for the purpose of |
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improving the behavioral, psychological, educational, or |
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vocational outcome of an offender. |
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(b) Not later than January 31 of each year, the department |
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shall prepare and submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, |
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and each member of the legislature a report on the use of |
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administrative segregation in facilities operated by or under |
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contract with the department. |
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(c) The report described by Subsection (b) must include the |
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following information for each facility operated by or under |
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contract with the department: |
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(1) the name, race, sex, and age of each offender |
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placed in administrative segregation; |
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(2) the offense or behavior for which each offender |
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was placed in administrative segregation; |
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(3) the number of times each offender was placed in |
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administrative segregation; |
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(4) the total time each offender placed in |
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administrative segregation spent in administrative segregation; |
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(5) other types of placements offered by each facility |
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that are similar to administrative segregation, including |
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quarantine and lockdown; |
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(6) the types of rehabilitative programs made |
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available to offenders placed in administrative segregation; |
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(7) staffing ratios for administrative segregation |
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units; |
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(8) the total number of administrative segregation |
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beds used at each facility; |
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(9) the mental health diagnoses of offenders placed in |
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administrative segregation; |
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(10) whether an offender placed in administrative |
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segregation received a new mental health diagnosis or required |
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mental health treatment during or shortly after the placement; |
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(11) whether an offender placed in administrative |
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segregation experienced severe mental or physical distress such |
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that the offender required immediate medical or psychiatric |
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attention; |
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(12) whether an offender placed in administrative |
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segregation attempted or committed suicide or engaged in self-harm |
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during or shortly after the placement; |
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(13) whether an offender placed in administrative |
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segregation appealed the offender's placement and the outcome of |
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each appeal; |
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(14) whether the length of a placement in |
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administrative segregation was reduced and the reason for each |
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reduction; and |
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(15) the number of offenders placed in administrative |
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segregation who had the length of their placement reduced because |
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of a successful completion of a rehabilitative program. |
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(d) If the department fails to timely or accurately submit a |
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report required by this section, the department shall prepare and |
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submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and each member of |
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the legislature a corrective action plan outlining how the |
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department will correct deficiencies in the timeliness or accuracy |
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of future reports. |
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SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 493.036, Government |
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Code, as added by this Act, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice |
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is not required to submit the initial report required by that |
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section until January 31, 2027. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |