NCJ Number
150203
Date Published
1993
Length
80 pages
Annotation
This report describes the 1993 organization and activities of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which operates the prisons, jails, parole, and probation systems of Texas.
Abstract
The Department's four divisions operate under the policy and management direction of one board and one executive director; oversight comes from the nine-member Texas Board of Criminal Justice and the 10-member Legislative Criminal Justice Board. The State is involved in the largest prison construction program in the United States, going from the current 68,000 prison beds to 130,000 by the end of 1995. Currently, more than 500,000 Texans are in prison, on parole, or one probation for serious crimes. This amounts to one of every 34 Texans and one of every 18 males. Prisons need programs focusing on literacy, education, vocational training, drug treatment, and life skills to prevent recidivism. In addition, 96 percent of all inmates in the United States will be released within 4 years, making it crucial to rehabilitate offenders to ensure community safety and reduce recidivism. Tables and descriptions of individual institutions