| 5 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 7 | | relating to a study on the assessments used by the Board of Pardons |
|---|
| 10 | 8 | | and Paroles to make parole decisions. |
|---|
| 11 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 12 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 508, Government Code, is |
|---|
| 13 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 508.1446 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 14 | 12 | | Sec. 508.1446. STUDY ON ASSESSMENTS USED DURING PAROLE |
|---|
| 15 | 13 | | DECISIONS. (a) The board shall conduct a study on the |
|---|
| 16 | 14 | | effectiveness of the assessment components of the parole guidelines |
|---|
| 17 | 15 | | adopted under Section 508.144 and used by the board and parole |
|---|
| 18 | 16 | | panels in determining which inmates should be released on parole. |
|---|
| 19 | 17 | | (b) In conducting the study, the board: |
|---|
| 20 | 18 | | (1) shall obtain information on inmates considered for |
|---|
| 21 | 19 | | parole during the period beginning January 1, 2015, and ending |
|---|
| 22 | 20 | | December 31, 2017, from the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, the |
|---|
| 23 | 21 | | department, and any other criminal justice agency with relevant |
|---|
| 24 | 22 | | information on the recidivism of: |
|---|
| 25 | 23 | | (A) inmates sentenced to the institutional |
|---|
| 26 | 24 | | division; and |
|---|
| 27 | 25 | | (B) releasees under the supervision of the |
|---|
| 28 | 26 | | division; and |
|---|
| 29 | 27 | | (2) may use information for a select group of inmates |
|---|
| 30 | 28 | | based on an acceptable research methodology. |
|---|
| 31 | 29 | | (c) In evaluating the effectiveness of the assessments, the |
|---|
| 32 | 30 | | board shall compare and analyze the recidivism rates and parole |
|---|
| 33 | 31 | | guideline score of the inmates used in the study. The board shall |
|---|
| 34 | 32 | | determine for each category or score within the parole guidelines: |
|---|
| 35 | 33 | | (1) the number of inmates released on parole who are |
|---|
| 36 | 34 | | convicted of a misdemeanor offense following release on parole; |
|---|
| 37 | 35 | | (2) the number of inmates released on parole who are |
|---|
| 38 | 36 | | convicted of a felony offense following release on parole; and |
|---|
| 39 | 37 | | (3) the number of inmates released on parole who have |
|---|
| 40 | 38 | | had parole revoked for a reason other than a new conviction. |
|---|
| 41 | 39 | | (d) Not later than January 1, 2019, the board shall submit a |
|---|
| 42 | 40 | | report on the results of the study to the governor, the lieutenant |
|---|
| 43 | 41 | | governor, and each member of the legislature. The report must |
|---|
| 44 | 42 | | include any recommendations the board considers necessary to |
|---|
| 45 | 43 | | improve the parole decision-making process, including any changes |
|---|
| 46 | 44 | | to the assessments used or to the parole guidelines or recommended |
|---|
| 47 | 45 | | parole approval rates described by Section 508.144. |
|---|
| 48 | 46 | | (e) This section expires August 31, 2019. |
|---|
| 49 | 47 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 50 | 48 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 51 | 49 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 52 | 50 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 53 | 51 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
|---|