Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Final Results of Last Sunset Review

The following material summarizes results of the 2012-2013 Sunset review of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee, Windham School District, and Board of Pardons and Paroles.  The material includes statutory changes made through Senate Bill 213 (83R), as well as management actions directed to the agencies that did not require statutory change.  For additional information see the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Managed Health Care Committee, Windham School District, and Board of Pardons and Paroles Sunset Final Report with Legislative Action.

Offender Rehabilitation and Reentry

• Requires TDCJ to implement a standardized risk and needs assessment instrument, based on criminogenic factors, for use in assessing and managing offenders on probation, in prison, and on parole.
• Requires TDCJ to establish a case management committee at every prison facility to assess inmates and ensure they are receiving appropriate services or participating in appropriate programs.
• Requires the Individual Treatment Plan to capture all of an offender’s risk and needs information, as well as all participation in both state-funded and volunteer programs, for use in treatment planning.
• Directs the Parole Board to use the Individualized Treatment Plan in making programming placement decisions. (management action – nonstatutory)
• Requires TDCJ to develop and adopt a more comprehensive reentry and reintegration plan for offenders detailing the reentry goals and strategies, and how it will evaluate the plan.
• Expands the membership and duties of the Reentry Task Force.

Offender Education

• Requires the Windham School District to conduct biennial program evaluations to measure whether its academic, vocational, and life skills programs reduce recidivism and meet the District’s other statutory goals.

Probation Grants and Funding

• Requires TDCJ’s Community Justice Assistance Division (CJAD) to establish grant program goals and standard grant processes, including a system to routinely monitor grant performance and impact on recidivism.
• Requires CJAD to study the use of performance-based funding formulas, including using an offender’s risk level or other appropriate factors, and report its recommendations to the Legislature.
• Changes the way state funding for Community Supervision and Corrections Departments’ employees health insurance is appropriated by creating a new TDCJ budget strategy. (S.B. 1)

Parole

• Requires the Parole Board to establish and maintain a range of recommended parole approval rates for each category or score within the parole guidelines.
• Requires parole panels, when approving or denying an inmate’s release, to provide a clear and understandable written explanation of the panel’s decision, including only the reasons that relate specifically to the inmate.
• Authorizes the Parole Board to delegate all hearings, but not final determinations, to its hearing officers.
• Makes the process of submitting Victim Impact Statements more efficient.

Correctional Health Care

• Modifies the structure and functions of the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee to align with changes in the State’s approach to providing offender health care.
• Removes funding for the salaries, operating expenses, and travel expenses of the Committee’s staff.  (S.B. 1, Rider 50)
• Clarifies TDCJ’s powers and duties relating to correctional healthcare contracting, consistent with the Legislature’s previous decision to transfer this authority from the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee to TDCJ.
• Clarifies TDCJ’s authority to contract with any provider for offender health care, to include, but not limited to the University of Texas Medical Branch and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
• Requires TDCJ to adhere to standard contracting requirements for offender healthcare services contracts, and report healthcare cost and use information to the Governor and Legislative Budget Board.

Continuation

• Continues the Board and Department of Criminal Justice for eight years.
• Continues the Windham School District and Correctional Managed Health Care Committee, and requires them to be reviewed in conjunction with future Sunset reviews of TDCJ.  The Parole Board will also continue to be reviewed by the Sunset Commission in conjunction with TDCJ.

Standard Sunset Review Elements

• Abolishes TDCJ’s report on bed ratios for Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facilities.
• Directs TDCJ to research and implement innovative alternatives to recruit a more diverse workforce.  (management action – nonstatutory)