This report highlights several existing successful restorative justice programs in Texasand offers recommendations based on effective restorative practices in other jurisdictions.Because crime is first and foremost an offense against the victim – victims shouldbe provided with enhanced restitution, greater input in sentencing, and a mechanism forsecuring prosecution when local prosecutors decline to act.With the state’s prisons approaching capacity with 150,000 inmates and more than half amillion Texans on parole or probation, the key to reducing long-term incarceration andsupervision costs is lowering the recidivism rate through initiatives such as victim-offender interaction programsthat emphasize accountability and penance.
Mexican Cartels Have Infiltrated Our Cities
Mexican cartels, with dangerous motives, have quietly and consistently infiltrated urban areas across the United States, leaving everyone to wonder about the scale and scope of their impact. Arrests have been made in the brutal killing of a pregnant San Antonio woman and her boyfriend—in what police say is a drug-related crime. Savanah Nicole Soto,...