Many of you likely got a letter today from TDCJ Executive Director Brad Livingston, describing the virtues of the Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility (largely used as a condition of inpatient treatment in felony cases). I strongly urge you to consider using the facility in appropriate nonviolent cases as an alternative to a straight prison sentence.

There currently is little to no waiting period. And the success rate for such treatment is about as good as we get to see in our world.

If you want to convince the Legislature to maintain funding for such a program, you have to show them that it will be used to divert nonviolent offenders. That is particularly important in light of the recent request for a 5% cut in funding statewide.