HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 1722:~_
,, .-
A Resolution ted ~2sclution Fro. ira°~
,dop
IN OPPOSITION TO HB 2893 AND SB 1596 DECLARING THAT THE STATE OF
TEXAS DOES NOT HAVE A DUTY TO ACCEPT INMATES DULY SENTENCED TO
THE INSTITUTIONAL DIVISION OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL
JUSTICE AND REQUIRING COUNTIES EXPERIENCING INMATE OVERCROWDING
TO PAY ALL COSTS INCURRED IN TRANSPORTING & HOUSING CONVICTED
FELONS IN OTHER COUNTY JAILS & SEVERELY LIMITING STATE
REIMBURSEMENT TO COUNTIES
WHEREAS, as part of the State's duty to protect its citizens, it
is, and has always been, the State's responsibility to
incarcerate the most serious and dangerous convicted felons; and
WHEREAS, the historic and commonly accepted role of a County jail
is to hold persons awaiting trial and not to rehabilitate
hardened criminal offenders; and
WHEREAS, only the State of Texas, through the Institutional
Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has the
capability to provide the necessary services to safely house and
provide the services necessary to rehabilitate inmates; and
WHEREAS, because of the State's inability or unwillingness to
house all of those sentenced to the Institutional Division, the
number of inmates having to be housed in the Tarrant County jails
has skyrocketed; and
WHEREAS, since 198?, the cost to operate the County jails has
tripled from $7.1 million to $21.2 million; and
WHEREAS, Tarrant County has shouldered more than its share of the
burden of meeting the challenge of rising crime and in devising
innovative responses to the crisis of prison overcrowding and has
responded to the jail overcrowding crisis by authorizing the
construction of over 2,500 new jail beds since 1987; and
WHEREAS, the State of Texas must accept its responsibility to
house all criminals properly sentenced to the Institutional
Division;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Fort Worth City Council
that the City of Fort Worth strongly opposes HB 2893 and its
companion legislation, SB 1596, which would deny the State's duty
to accept convicted felons duly sentenced to the Institutional
Division and would require counties--and county taxpayers--to
D
CITY OP FORT NORTH
;.,,
{ ! r_ ~
shoulder what is properly the State's responsibility to protect
its citizens by adequately and fully incarcerating the State's
most serious criminal offenders; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, if the State is unwilling or unable
to house convicted felons duly sentenced to the Institutional
Division, the State should reimburse counties for the full cost
of holding such prisoners.
Approved this ~/~ r day of 1991.
Bob Bolen
Mayor
l:1TI Vi iVA• ~1 Vi1aA