Issue Position: Criminal Justice

Issue Position

Raise the Age

Right now, 17-year-olds in Texas are considered adults for criminal justice purposes. The age of criminal responsibility should be raised from 17 to 18. That would mean that 17-year-olds who commit crimes would be under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system, while still giving the ability to a judge to decide on a case-by-case basis if the crime warrants the 17-year-old being sent to the adult system. When 17-year-olds are arrested and tried in the adult criminal justice system, they are subject to confinement in an adult prison setting, exposing them to higher risks of physical and sexual abuse. They are also more likely to be placed in isolation for their protection, which poses a severe danger to their mental and physical health. 17-year-olds confined in an adult prison setting are also more likely to re-offend and increase their chances of a continued life of crime, versus those that are held in youth prison settings. Youth deserve the opportunity to receive treatment to help them get on the path of becoming productive members of society after serving their time.

Marijuana Legalization

Marijuana should be made legal for medical and recreational use in Texas. Enforcement of marijuana prohibition laws disproportionately impacts communities of color and individuals with lower socioeconomic status. In addition, law enforcement officials' time and resources would be better spent addressing serious crimes instead of arresting and prosecuting adults for using marijuana. Also, by forcing marijuana into an underground market, Texas is guaranteeing that sales will be entirely uncontrolled. Illegal marijuana dealers do not check a person's age, and the product they sell is unregulated and possibly impure, exposing consumers to other more harmful drugs. In a regulated market, not only would Texas receive as much as $500 million a year in beneficial tax revenue, but a consumer would have to prove their age and the product would be regulated and safe for consumption. Legalization would also help mitigate the opioid crisis impacting our state.

End Private Prisons

There should be no profit motive in our criminal justice system. The for-profit prison model creates perverse incentives to lock up as many people as possible, all on the taxpayers' dime. This has resulted in over-criminalization, inhumane treatment, overcrowding, routine abuse of detainees, and inadequate services and health care. The U.S. Department of Justice announced in 2016 that it would neither seek new contracts nor renew existing contracts with private prison companies. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice should follow the lead of the Justice Department and end their relationships with the for-profit prison industry.

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