Criminal Justice: Govt 2306 SP 220

1. Criminal Justice Policy in Texas
40-year trend toward more expansive, more punitive criminal justice.
Support for Reform from the Right and the Left
Pace of reform is slow

2. Mass Incarceration: US, Texas, the World
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW AND EXPLORE THE GRAPHIC AND DATA
• Link to Incarceration rates in US states and countries
If US states were considered countries:
• Oklahoma is #1 in the world at 1079 per 100,000 population
• Texas is #6 in the world at 891 per 100,000 population
• The US is #1 among countries but #24 (behind 23 US states)
• El Salvador is #33 in the world at 614 per 1000,000
• Massachusetts is #50 among US states but #60 in the world
• Our lowest state incarderates 314 per 100,000 population

3. 20% of world incarceration is in US

4. 70% of US Convictions result
in incarceration
• Incarceration has become
the defacto policy in US
criminal justice.
• Sentencing policy has
become more punitive
• MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES

5. Texas & US are OFF THE CHART

6. Incarcerated Texas Residents
2018
 State Prison 163,000
 Local Jails 55,000
 Federal (National) Prison 27,000
 Youth 4300
 Involuntary Commitment 1,400
 Total 251,000

7. Prisons vs. Jails: 1978-2015

8. Most Jail Growth due to pre-trial policies

9. TOO POOR TO PAY BAIL
• The Texas Legislature has shown interest
in reducing the use of money bail but no
bill has passed.
• Locsl jurisdictions experimenting with
cite and release as an alternative to
money bail.
• Opposition from bail bond industry has
so far blocked statewide reform.

10. 74% incarcerated awaiting trial

11. Releasing non-violent drug offenders will
make only a small dent in incarceration.
80% of those incarcerated are locked up for an offense other than drugs.

12. Prison Incarceration by Gender
MEN: 1060 per 100,000 (2015) WOMEN: 92 per 100,000 (2015)

13. Private Prisons are a small parasite on a
flawed public system.

14. Expanding community supervision
• Probation, parole, pretrial
detention policies will help
but only in a small way.
• Often, the requirements for
these under community
supervision are so harsh
they result in revocation

15. Are violent offenders too
dangerous to release?

16. Youth

17. Immigration

18. Psychiatric Facilities

19. Poverty and Incarceration

20. Race

21. Plenty of Pain