86R10059 BPG-D
By: Reynolds H.C.R. No. 51
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, In 2018, the discovery of an unmarked burial ground
at the former Imperial State Prison Farm site in Sugar Land drew
national attention to an abhorrent chapter in history; and
WHEREAS, Archeologists at the site found the skeletal remains
of 95 victims of the convict leasing system, which was used after
the Civil War to replicate the oppression that existed under
slavery; although the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
prohibited involuntary servitude, it created an exemption for
people convicted of crimes; Southern states took advantage by
enacting "Black Codes," laws that applied only to African
Americans, who could be prosecuted criminally for such offenses as
loitering, breaking curfew, or not carrying proof of employment;
and
WHEREAS, Prisoners of the state were leased as cheap labor to
private railways, mines, and agricultural operations, including
the sugar plantations along the Brazos River; while receiving no
pay, convicts often endured conditions even more brutal than
slavery, given that contractors had no financial interest in their
well-being; more than 3,500 Texas prisoners died between 1866 and
1912, when the legislature outlawed convict leasing; and
WHEREAS, While the state and employers profited, the families
and communities of victims suffered damage that spanned
generations; a full understanding of the convict leasing system and
its aftereffects is vital to addressing issues that continue to
plague society today, including mass incarceration, convict labor,
prison privatization, and entrenched poverty; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house
of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study the
legacy of convict leasing in Texas; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the committee examine the treatment of victims
of the convict leasing system, the extent to which the State of
Texas supported the system, and the lingering negative effects of
the system; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the committee determine appropriate ways to
educate the general public about the convict leasing system; and,
be it further
RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including
findings and recommendations, to the 87th Texas Legislature in
January 2021; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be
governed by such general rules and policies for interim committees
as the 86th Texas Legislature may adopt.