Texas House Bill HB3357

Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Caption

Relating to certain technical violations of conditions of community supervision.

Impact

The legislation aims to create a more structured and lenient approach towards defendants who are found to have committed technical violations of their community supervision conditions. It limits the maximum confinement terms for such violations to 180 days while considering previous instances of similar violations. This modification intends to reduce the number of individuals incarcerated for minor infractions, thus supporting the rehabilitation of offenders and alleviating issues in overcrowded correctional facilities.

Summary

House Bill 3357 focuses on amending the procedures relating to technical violations of conditions set for defendants on community supervision, primarily for nonviolent offenses. The bill introduces Article 42A.7555 to the Code of Criminal Procedure, which outlines specific instances where technical violations should not lead to the revocation of community supervision. Instead, judges are empowered to continue, extend, or modify the supervision without resorting to imprisonment for these defined technical violations.

Contention

Notable points of contention arising from discussions surrounding HB3357 revolve around the balance between enforcing compliance with community supervision and providing a second chance for offenders. Proponents argue that the bill represents a necessary step towards criminal justice reform and the reduction of recidivism, while opponents may view it as too lenient, potentially undermining the authority of the courts to impose stricter penalties for repeated violations. The financial implications for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in terms of cost savings from this approach also add a layer of complexity to the ongoing debates.