From the Texas Tribune: Report Backs Push for Board to Oversee Prisons

For our look at the criminal justice system in 2306 this week:

Citing potential cost savings to the state and a need to better protect the rights of inmates, a report released Tuesday is bolstering calls for an independent, external oversight board over the state’s prison system.

The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, which authored the report, is pushing lawmakers to approve several bills that would increase supervision over the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which oversees the state’s prisons and has not been subject to oversight since 2002.

“It should not be a hard sell,” said Ana Yáñez-Correa, the coalition's executive director. “We want to make sure they [the department] have the tools to succeed, but with money comes responsibility.” The report explains that this oversight would help TDCJ identify issues in its facilities "before they lead to expensive litigation, media scandals, or other human and fiscal costs."

The coalition is asking lawmakers to pass House Bill 877 by state Rep. Alma Allen, D-Houston, which would develop an independent body with comprehensive oversight over TDCJ facilities. The group would regularly inspect facilities like prisons and state jails, and issue reports and policy recommendations.

Click here for the report issued by the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition.