Criminal Justice

Texas Legislature could restore justice through Grand Jury reform

During the 2015 legislative session, Texas lawmakers made some changes to the State’s grand jury system. A major change included ending the controversial “pick-a-pal” system, which was criticized for allowing people with conflicting interests to be tapped as jurors. When lawmakers returned to Austin in 2017, grand jury reform bills that would have protected against overzealous prosecution ran out of...

July 31, 2018

Criminal Justice

Did poor school discipline policy help cause Parkland?

  Reports have surfaced that, despite a history of violent outbursts and assaults, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter was never referred to law enforcement. Instead, he was disciplined through school channels and eventually expelled. Schools should have the latitude to determine whether misbehavior warrants police involvement, but policy must always be motivated by public safety. This...

March 25, 2018

Criminal Justice

When it comes to juvenile justice, family involvement is best for kids and communities

    Gov. Greg Abbott recently called for significant changes to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, noting the agency faces long-term problems that require legislative action. The current model for state youth lockups is not working, and reports of sexual misconduct and violent behavior by employees at these facilities has filled the news cycle for months. As the conversation turns to solutions,...

March 5, 2018

Criminal Justice

Raise the age to lower crime

Raising the age would enhance public safety by lowering recidivism rates among youthful offenders. It is a common sense policy that takes advantage of the benefits the juvenile justice system has to offer, including greater family involvement and individualized treatment.

May 9, 2017

Criminal Justice

Kids no longer get arrested for truancy and guess what? They still go to class

While Texas most certainly values education, using criminal punishment as the primary tool to ensure school attendance was a misallocation of public safety resources that failed to address the root cause of chronic absences.

March 23, 2017