Tag: Criminal Justice Reform
A bipartisan effort to change the law to allow judges in Texas to dismiss low-level crimes when police officers fail to explain why they arrested a suspect has died. The Texas Tribune reported a committee of Texas lawmakers from both chambers killed a measure in late May that would have let judges dismiss low-level crimes…
Texas has a reputation for being a tough state for law and order with heavy sentences handed down to offenders. However, the Lone Star State’s initiatives to find alternatives to prison are helping drive forward a national reform bill. When the White House recently backed a bipartisan effort to cut the federal prison population and…
Texas has reduced its prison population due to reforms, but that only tells half of the story, according to a new report. While the number of male prisoners has fallen the female prison population is growing. The concerns were raised by the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition in a report released last week. The report suggests…
Rick Perry, the former Texas governor and current U.S. Energy Secretary, has endorsed two proposed criminal justice reforms currently in the Texas legislature that would help people who have been charged or convicted of crimes. Writing in the Houston Chronicle, Perry touted reforms that took place during his tenure as governor that helped reduce Texas’…