| 1 | 1 | | 85S10873 JRR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Davis of Harris H.B. No. 326 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a study on the assessments used by the Board of Pardons |
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| 8 | 8 | | and Paroles to make parole decisions. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 508, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 508.1446 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 508.1446. STUDY ON ASSESSMENTS USED DURING PAROLE |
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| 13 | 13 | | DECISIONS. (a) The board shall conduct a study on the |
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| 14 | 14 | | effectiveness of the assessment components of the parole guidelines |
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| 15 | 15 | | adopted under Section 508.144 and used by the board and parole |
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| 16 | 16 | | panels in determining which inmates should be released on parole. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) In conducting the study, the board: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) shall obtain information on inmates considered for |
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| 19 | 19 | | parole during the period beginning January 1, 2015, and ending |
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| 20 | 20 | | December 31, 2017, from the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, the |
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| 21 | 21 | | department, and any other criminal justice agency with relevant |
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| 22 | 22 | | information on the recidivism of those inmates; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) may use information for a select group of inmates |
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| 24 | 24 | | based on an acceptable research methodology. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (c) In evaluating the effectiveness of the assessments, the |
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| 26 | 26 | | board shall compare and analyze the recidivism rates and parole |
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| 27 | 27 | | guideline score of the inmates used in the study. The board shall |
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| 28 | 28 | | determine for each category or score within the parole guidelines: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) the number of inmates released on parole who are |
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| 30 | 30 | | convicted of a misdemeanor offense following release on parole; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) the number of inmates released on parole who are |
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| 32 | 32 | | convicted of a felony offense following release on parole; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) the number of inmates released on parole who have |
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| 34 | 34 | | had parole revoked for a reason other than a new conviction. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (d) Not later than January 1, 2019, the board shall submit a |
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| 36 | 36 | | report on the results of the study to the governor, the lieutenant |
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| 37 | 37 | | governor, and each member of the legislature. The report must |
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| 38 | 38 | | include any recommendations the board considers necessary to |
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| 39 | 39 | | improve the parole decision-making process, including any changes |
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| 40 | 40 | | to the assessments used or to the parole guidelines or recommended |
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| 41 | 41 | | parole approval rates described by Section 508.144. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (e) This section expires August 31, 2019. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 44 | 44 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 45 | 45 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 46 | 46 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 47 | 47 | | Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
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| 48 | 48 | | legislative session. |
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