82R13471 JH-D
By: Pitts H.R. No. 773
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Honorable Jerry Madden, state representative of
House District 67, has been selected by Governing magazine as a 2010
Public Official of the Year; and
WHEREAS, This national accolade annually recognizes
individuals who have had a notable positive impact on the people
they serve and is considered the preeminent honor for state and
local government officials; and
WHEREAS, Representative Madden was chosen for the award along
with Senator John Whitmire for their efforts to reform the Texas
criminal justice system; after being appointed chair of the House
Committee on Corrections in 2005, Representative Madden began to
analyze related facts and statistics and to collaborate with
Senator Whitmire to seek ways of preventing an increase in the
prison population while also safeguarding the public and
effectively rehabilitating offenders; and
WHEREAS, Recognizing that it costs less to intervene early
when dealing with offenders who have mental health or addiction
problems, the two legislators crafted a plan in which more
resources were directed to mental health and substance abuse
programs already in existence in the community, with the result not
only that the total prison population decreased, but also that
recidivism declined substantially; and
WHEREAS, Innovative and effective leadership is
characteristic of this West Point-trained engineer, who was first
elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1992 and is
currently serving his 10th term in office; and
WHEREAS, Through his forward-thinking approach to changing
the way low-risk offenders were treated in the prison and probation
systems, he eliminated the need to build more facilities and
changed many lives for the better along the way, and his work has
helped to make Texas a nationwide model for corrections reform;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Representative Jerry Madden on
being named a 2010 Public Official of the Year by Governing magazine
and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be
it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Representative Madden as an expression of high regard
by his colleagues in the Texas House of Representatives.