Texas has the sixth highest incarceration rate in the nation and the most prisoners (147,000) of any state, about half of whom are nonviolent offenders. However, since 2005 when the state began strengthening probation and other alternatives to incarceration, the state’s incarceration rate has fallen more than 20%. During this same period, Texas’ crime rate has dropped more than 30%, reaching its lowest level since 1967.
Criminal Justice
Caregiver Mitigation and Diversion Programs: A Family-Centered Alternative to Incarceration
The incarceration of parents has devastating effects on the family unit, especially on health, education, employment, and quality of life outcomes for children. Texas should enact mitigation laws that redirect parents who commit non-violent, non-serious crimes to diversionary programs that keep them at home with their children while serving their sentence. Key Points: Incarceration has...
August 19, 2024