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The system of community-based diversions from incarceration
in Texas is called "probation," and most believe that the probation system needs to be improved. See the Texas public opinion poll! By almost any measure, the system of community-based
alternatives to incarceration in Texas is weak.
HB 2193 was
by:
- Chairman Jerry Madden, Chairman of
the House Corrections Committee;
- Speaker Pro Tem Sylvester Turner,
Chairman of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee;
- Chairman Ray Allen, former Chairman
of the House Corrections Committee now Chairman of the House County Affairs Committee;
- Representative Pat Haggerty, former
Chairman of the House Corrections Committee now member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal Justice;
- Representative Jim McReynolds, member
of the House Corrections Committee and the House Public Health Committee; and
- Dean Whitmire, Chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, Chairman
of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee and Dean of the Texas Senate.
HB 2193 protects the public, promotes healthy families, and uses taxpayer dollars wisely. It provided:
- intensive supervision for those who need it,
- judicial compliance reviews,
- more judicial control over incentives and
sanctions,
- local control over conditions of probation and sanctions,
- more opportunities for a jury to consider probation,
- a prison diversion pilot program, and
- more drug courts.
Related bills that were filed:
HB1887 by Chairman Haggerty would grant judges
more discretion in setting probation.
SB1260 by Dean Whitmire would not allow probation revocations for technical violations
SB1261 by Dean Whitmire would reduce maximum lengths of probation
SB1259 by Dean Whitmire, HB575 by Chairman Haggerty and HB1917
Chairman Allen would require courts to review successful probationers for early discharge
HB1860 by Chairman Uresti would allow state jail felons to be eligible to earn early discharge from
probation
SB938 by Chairman West, and HB2838 and HB1920 by Chairman Allen
and would encourage probation departments to use progressive sanctions before revoking probationers to prison.
SB1262 by Dean Whitmire would allow the court to grant credit for timed served on community supervision
when it revokes the probationer on a technical violation
HB1859 by Chairman Uresti would allow use of shock probation and sentence reduction in deferred adjudication
cases
HB1759 by Chairman Keel and HB1886
by Chairman Haggerty allows a jury to grant probation in a state jail felony case, just like the court can. HB1759
PASSED AND WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR.
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