TX Legislative Committees to Hold Hearing

A joint committee hearing involving the House Corrections Committee's subcommittee on Substance Abuse and Mental Illness and the House Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on Criminal Justice will take place on Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 10:00 AM in E1.030 at the State Capitol.

The committees will hear public testimony on the following interim charges:

Review and research the availability, coordination, efficiency, and allocation of substance abuse treatment resources for probationers, pretrial defendants, people in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), and parolees. This review should include methods to reduce and improve current assessments, training, and referring protocols and the identification of any barriers that may be impeding all of the above.

Assess the relationship between mental illness and criminal behavior and offer reforms needed to address the proliferation of mental illness in the adult and juvenile criminal justice systems. This review should include an examination of data sharing between criminal justice and health and
human services agencies, proper screening, assessments, treatment, discharge planning, post-release supervision, and community services.

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/schedules/html/C2002008052910001.HTM

Interim Senate Committe Charges to the 80th Legislature

One of the items included among Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's interim charges to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee of the 80th Legislature relates to mental health:

"Study the relationship between the public mental health system and the criminal justice and civil courts systems, including the identification and sharing of information regarding mentally ill offenders, including minors, among criminal justice and mental health agencies, the courts, state hospitals, and the Veterans Administration. Study how current confidentiality laws impact the exchange of information among groups described above. Study the sentencing of mentally ill offenders compared to non-mentally ill offenders, including minors, and the affect that has on statewide prison capacity and on the health care provided to mentally ill offenders. (Joint Charge with Senate State Affairs Committee)"

Source: The Quorum Report