NCJ Number
143177
Date Published
1992
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This statistical update accounts for the impact of the decline in the number of releases from Texas prisons since May 1992 and for changes in the prison construction schedule.
Abstract
The May 1992 project assumed the continual release from prison of 138 inmates per day during the projection period. Since May 1992, however, the number of releases per day from prison declined. During the last 2 months of fiscal year 1992 (July and August), releases decreased to an average of 76 per day. The average number of releases for the full fiscal year totaled 117. The total jail backlog as of September 1, 1992, included 20,161 inmates. If releases from prison continue at the average level of fiscal year 1992, and after over 25,000 new prison beds become operational by 1995, Texas will still not be able to meet its commitment under House Bill 93 to accept all offenders sentenced to prison by September 1, 1995. Projected jail backlogs of State offenders by 1995 and 1998 will be 19,237 and 35,123, respectively. The jail backlog will continue to occupy between 25 and 30 percent of all jail capacity in Texas during the projection period. In essence, if the release policy of fiscal year 1992 continues in the future, the State will commit a substantial portion of its new prison capacity to increasing time served for offenders admitted to prison, as opposed to reducing the jail backlog. Under the present policy, the average time served in prison is projected to increase from an average of 20 months (18 percent of sentence) in 1991 to 35 months (33 percent of sentence) in 1998. Appendixes contain data on monthly projections and the prison construction schedule and historical prison release data for fiscal year 1992. Tables and charts