News & Views
Why so few DWIs in Berlin? Public transport
Submitted by Gritsforbreakfast on Thu, 2010-09-02 02:31 Authored by GritsforbreakfastI'm writing from Berlin, which I'm finding to be just a fabulous city, but while I'm waiting on the missus this morning I thought I'd share with Grits readers a conversation I had yesterday with a German cop about DWIs.
There's a LOT of drinking in Berlin, where locals and tourists alike definitely enjoy their beer, generally a half-liter at a time. But according to the officer I spoke to, there isn't a great problem with drinking and driving here. "The drunks, they just ride the U," which is the city's underground subway system, she told me with a grin, adding that drunk driving had diminished with the recent implementation of "much more serious punishment." "What is the punishment for drunk driving here?," I asked. "A very large fine," the officer replied, "but if you are arrested [for DWI] more than once the fine becomes very high."
Fully Fund the Texas Commission on Jail Standards
Submitted by Gritsforbreakfast on Tue, 2010-08-31 17:01 Authored by Ana Yáñez-CorreaTomorrow (Sep. 1, 2010), the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) will present its Legislative Appropriations Request for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 to the Budget, Planning and Policy Division of the Governor's Office and to the Legislative Budget Board. The Hearing will take place from 9:00 am - 10:30 am in the Capitol Extension, Room E2.028. Public comments will be permitted.
Background
In the face of a potential 15% budget cut (including across-the-board 5% agency budget cuts and an extra 10% budget cut), TCJS could potentially lose 2-3 staff members, possibly inspectors (out of a current total of 5 inspectors).
Good morning everyone!
Submitted by Gritsforbreakfast on Tue, 2010-08-31 10:07 Authored by Ana Yáñez-CorreaGood morning everyone! It's Ana again.
The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, Chaired by Rep. Pete Gallego, is holding a hearing today at 10:00 AM, in room E2.010.
The committee is meeting to consider Charge #1: Examine the deferred adjudication system in Texas and recommend legislative changes.
Although there will be invited testimony only, the public is welcome to attend and listen to the hearing.
If you can't make it to the Capitol you can click here to stream the hearing live.
The Tim Cole Advisory Panel Report: Too Much Ado, Not Enough Done
Submitted by Gritsforbreakfast on Mon, 2010-08-30 10:04 Authored by Jeff BlackburnHey everybody, Jeff Blackburn here. Scott asked me to do some guest blogging during his well-deserved vacation. This my first post. Be as hard on me as you want.
On Wednesday of last week, my good friend Ana Yáñez-Correa reported on the meeting of the Task Force on Indigent Defense that had just happened. She called the meeting and what came out of it a “Great Day for Justice in Texas”.
I was at that meeting. I have to tell you that it didn’t make me feel warm, fuzzy or full of pride for Texas. I handled the Tim Cole case and represent his family, and if what happened at the Court of Criminal Appeals last Wednesday was a “great day” then we are all getting way too accustomed to way too little.
Legislative Budget Hearings
Submitted by Gritsforbreakfast on Fri, 2010-08-27 18:03 Authored by Ana Yáñez-CorreaHello everyone! It’s Ana Yáñez-Correa again.
Just wanted to share with all of you a new link we created on TCJC's Public Policy Center web page titled Legislative Budget Hearings that included some of the following below.
The Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (TJPC) presented its Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 to the Budget, Planning and Policy Division of the Governor's Office and to the Legislative Budget Board on Thursday, August 19, 2010.
To view TJPC's LAR, please click here.
More TYC Turmoil?
Submitted by Gritsforbreakfast on Thu, 2010-08-26 18:38 Authored by GritsforbreakfastA couple of readers emailed from across the pond to say things appear to be blowing up yet again at the Texas Youth Commission (I can't leave you people alone for a minute!), particularly regarding alleged mistreatment of youth at units in Beaumont and Corsicana. Here are several notable MSM stories on the subject:
Great Day for Justice in Texas
Submitted by Gritsforbreakfast on Wed, 2010-08-25 19:24 Authored by Ana Yáñez-CorreaHello everyone! It’s Ana Yáñez-Correa again.
Today is a great day for justice in Harris County and across Texas. Leah Pinney and I attended the Task Force on Indigent Defense Board Meeting today, where we were reminded of the value of grace and perseverance in seeking justice.
TCJC Re-entry Project
Submitted by Gritsforbreakfast on Tue, 2010-08-24 11:47 Authored by Ana Yáñez-CorreaHi everyone, this is Ana Yáñez-Correa at the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJC). It’s our first guest blog post!
I’m not sure how many Grits readers know about a project we began about a year ago to help those exiting prisons and jails learn about available resources they can tap into in the community.Though we’re not a service organization, we receive over a hundred letters from inmates every month, and we average 40 calls per week from a wide range of individuals seeking help. After so many calls asking for information about resources in the community – and after conducting so much research on providers and programs in various regions – we decided to create the state’s first comprehensive directory of resources for returning individuals.
I'm Outta Here: Guest bloggers hold down fort while Grits takes a holiday
Submitted by Gritsforbreakfast on Mon, 2010-08-23 15:02 Authored by GritsforbreakfastOn the road again,
Going places that I've never been,
Seeing things that I may never see again,
I can't wait to get on the road again.
- Willie Nelson I'm headed out of town for a long-awaited vacation this afternoon, and will be away from the blog until mid-September. The missus and I are headed on a European junket - to London, Berlin, and Barcelona - and also visiting my wife's best friend from college, who married a German forest ranger and lives in a national park outside of Hamburg.
I've invited Ana Yañez Correa, Jeff Blackburn, and a couple of other folks who haven't confirmed yet to guest blog in my absence. Be kind to them! They're doing all of us a favor providing content while I'm away, so please try to keep the comments constructive and hold off on abusive trolling until I return.
In the meantime, here are several blogs I read regularly on topics related to Grits' purview:
On the link (or lack thereof) between solving murders and reducing their number
Submitted by Gritsforbreakfast on Mon, 2010-08-23 13:41 Authored by GritsforbreakfastAn article in the Houston Chronicle today laments the declining clearance rate for homicides, which in many jurisdictions are below 50%. Reports Yang Wang (no really, that's the reporter's name):
Some Houston-area communities are among 120 cities and counties across the state where 63 percent of murders or fewer are solved — falling short of the national average — according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting database. The findings are based on cases reported by local agencies from 2004 through 2009.
For some communities, the problem is sheer volume: Too many murders, too many culprits and too many places to hide in a massive metropolis of nearly 6 million people.
