Bill Tracker: HB 1678 Keeping non-violent drug offenders out of the prison system

Chairman of the House Corrections Committee, Hon. Jerry Madden (R-Plano) has filed HB 1678, which would change probation terms and sentencing for non-violent offenders.

I consider this a good bill because it gives a leg up to our corrections system and our judicial system in Texas. Governor Perry did not think so when he vetoed a similar bill in 2005, but if we are to help keep nonviolent offenders out of the prison system, we need this legislation.

The proposed bill provides for treatment options for drug offenders, lowers probation terms, and gives judges more control over how long someone stays in the program. Allowing the treatment options for drug offenders may help someone get off the wrong path, possibly preventing them from returning to the prison system for a similar offense months or years later.

Not only does this bill provide for different treatment options, it saves us money. Almost a quarter of the inmate population in the United States is comprised of non-violent drug offenders. 23.7% to be exact. That adds up to an annual nationwide price tag of $9.4 billion! Texas is one of the main culprits in these statistics.

More promising statistics on rehabilitation and recidivism come from Statistics Canada. Canada's focus on rehabilitating youth offenders rather than incarcerating them has led not only to fewer youths in prison, but also fewer youths in trouble.

If our judges and prosecutors can spend less time worrying about the teenager who got busted for possession of one marijuana joint, and worrying more about the smugglers who are bringing in 10,000 kilos of the drug, then maybe we can effectively control the problem at the city level with our police force. In turn, if we save the money normally spent on the prison system to incarcerate people who do not need to be in jail, we could afford the extra police, that we so desperately need, without raising taxes.