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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to individual treatment plans for inmates. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 508.144(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The board shall: |
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(1) develop according to an acceptable research method |
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the parole guidelines that are the basic criteria on which a parole |
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decision is made; |
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(2) base the guidelines on the seriousness of the |
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offense and the likelihood of a favorable parole outcome; |
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(3) ensure that the guidelines require consideration |
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of an inmate's progress on the inmate's individual treatment plan |
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and in any other programs in which the inmate participated during |
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the inmate's term of confinement; |
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(4) establish and maintain a range of recommended |
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parole approval rates for each category or score within the |
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guidelines; and |
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(5) implement the guidelines. |
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SECTION 2. Section 508.152, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (b), (b-2), (c), and (e) and adding Subsection |
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(g) to read as follows: |
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(b) The department shall: |
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(1) not later than the 45th day after the date an |
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inmate is admitted to the institutional division, establish for the |
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inmate an individual treatment plan and provide the plan to the |
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inmate; and |
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(2) submit the plan to the board at the time of the |
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board's consideration of the inmate's case for release. |
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(b-2) At least once in every 12-month period, the department |
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shall review each inmate's individual treatment plan to assess the |
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inmate's institutional progress and revise or update the plan as |
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necessary. The department shall make reasonable efforts to provide |
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an inmate the opportunity to complete any classes or programs |
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included in the inmate's individual treatment plan[, other than |
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classes or programs that are to be completed immediately] before |
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the inmate's [release on] parole eligibility date[, in a timely |
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manner] so that the inmate's release on parole is not delayed due to |
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any uncompleted classes or programs. |
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(c) The board shall conduct an initial review of an eligible |
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inmate not later than the 180th day after the date of the inmate's |
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admission to the institutional division. The board shall identify |
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any classes or programs that the board intends to require the inmate |
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to complete before the inmate's parole eligibility date [releasing |
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the inmate on parole]. The department shall provide the inmate with |
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a list of those classes or programs and make those classes available |
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to the inmate before the inmate's parole eligibility date. |
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(e) The institutional division shall: |
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(1) work closely with the board to monitor the |
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progress of the inmate in the institutional division; [and] |
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(2) report the progress to the board before the |
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inmate's release; and |
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(3) revise the inmate's risk level to reflect the |
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inmate's completion of programming as required by the inmate's |
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individual treatment plan. |
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(g) The department shall provide to the board a record of |
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the inmate's progress toward completion of the inmate's individual |
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treatment plan. |
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SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the Board of Pardons and Paroles shall modify the |
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parole guidelines to be in conformity with Section 508.144(a), |
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Government Code, as amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |