Quote (from John Bradley
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For example, I have noticed an increase in the number of cases being considered for parole. I also am concerned about the increase in paroles being granted.
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Does anyone have numbers on this? I know that the media are reporting that Texas prisons are filling up. Please tell me, and more importantly my injured parties, that we are not going back to the bad old days of the revolving door.

There is growing pressure to increase early release from prison. But the more dangerous possibility is that politicians will decide to make probation the scapegoat this time.

Last legislative session, a few politicians were suggesting that the pressure on prison populations was coming from revocation of probations. Then they pointed the finger at "technical violations." Then they suggested these people should have been released early from probation.

The concern is that next session, those same politicians will argue for probation revocation guidelines. This is nothing more than a fancy way to increase early release and not provide sufficient prison space for the sentences being imposed by judges and juries.

In the past, we had the Texas Criminal Justice Policy Council (headed by Tony Fabelo) to give us objective numbers and explanations for sentencing patterns. Very often, those numbers defeated the political rhetoric. But, the Council no longer exists. Those numbers are now going to be generated by TDCJ and the Legislature.

A strictly hearsay source told me that non-3g offenders were now geting 10-1 credit.