Sen. José Rodríguez participates on Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Policy Primer on “Cutting Edge Corrections”

AUSTIN – Today, Senator José Rodríguez participated in the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Policy Primer series; the topic of the panel was “Cutting Edge Corrections: Leveraging Technological and Medical Advances to Reduce Crime.”

The event, which took place in the Texas Capitol, covered such issues as use of electronic monitoring for non-violent offenders and parolees, new medications to treat addiction and substance abuse, and longitudinal risk assessments.

“These and other techniques have given us alternatives for handling non-violent offenders instead of incarceration in state prisons and county jails,” Rodríguez said. “However, while these advances have great potential to reduce costs, the state must measure outcomes. We must be vigilant about investing in and using ‘evidence-based,’ not vendor-driven, products and technology, while making sure indigent defendants have equal access to these alternatives.”

Senator Rodríguez also addressed the need to reform sentencing for drug possession. “We need to better utilize science when determining the best way to handle non-violent drug offenders. We should incorporate public health, behavioral economics, and neuropsychology to better understand how people develop habits, particularly addictive habits, and then apply this knowledge to helping people change these habits,” said Rodríguez.

Drug sentencing reform would save Texas taxpayers millions of dollars, reduce prison overcrowding, and enhance public safety by reducing drug-related crime and preserving jail and prison space for violent offenders.

The panel was moderated by Marc Levin, Director of TPPF’s Center for Effective Justice. The other panelists were Dr. Andrea Stolar, Associate Professor, Baylor School of Medicine; Michael Nail, Executive Director of Parole, State of Georgia; and Carey Welebob, Director, Texas Community Justice Assistance Division. 

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José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Senate Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chairman of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee, and a member of the Senate Committees on Criminal Justice, Veteran Affairs and Military Installations, and Government Organization.

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