MINUTES 
                                           
                         SENATE COMMITTEE ON JURISPRUDENCE 
                              Thursday, April 25, 2002 
                                     10:00 a.m. 
                                Burnett-Bayland Home 
                                   Houston, Texas 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence  
         was held on Thursday, April 25, 2002, in the Burnett-Bayland  
         Home, Houston, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Royce West                      Senator David Bernsen 
         Senator J. E. Brown                     Senator Robert Duncan 
         Senator Mike Jackson                    Senator Rodney Ellis 
                                                 Senator Jeff Wentworth 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The chair called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m.  The  
         following business was transacted:  
          
         Senator West gave opening remarks. 
          
         Representative Scott Hochberg from District 132 attended the  
         meeting and gave welcoming remarks. 
          
         Senator Brown and Senator Jackson gave opening remarks. 
          
         The chair laid out charge 1:  Study the effectiveness of the  
         progressive sanction guidelines for juvenile offenders.   
         Determine whether the guidelines established by H.B. 327, 74th  
         Legislature, are bringing consistency, uniformity, and  
         predictability to juvenile dispositions in an effort to  
         facilitate juvenile justice planning and improve the allocation  
         of resources within the juvenile justice system.  The Committee  
         shall make recommendations for improving the effectiveness of  
         juvenile sanctions in protecting public safety and  
         rehabilitating offenders. 
          
         The following witnesses testified: 
          
         Panel 1 
         Dr. Tony Fabelo, representing the Criminal Justice Policy  
  
         Council 
         Professor Robert Dawson, representing self 
         Vicki Spriggs, representing the Texas Justice Probation  
         Commission 
         Neil Nichols, representing the Texas Youth Commission 
          
         Panel 2 
         Judge Robert Eckels, representing the Harris County Juvenile  
         Board and Commissioners Court 
         Judge Kent Ellis, representing the 315th District Court 
         Judge Pat Shelton, representing self 
         Judge Veronica Morgan-Price, representing Morgan-Price  
         Enterprises 
         Judge Jo Ann Delgado, representing Harris County J-P 2-1 
         Judge Tony Polumbo, representing self 
          
         At 1:10 p.m. the chair announced that the Committee recess for  
         lunch. 
          
         At 1:50 p.m. the Committee reconvened. 
          
         Panel 3 
         Chief Elmer Bailey, representing the Harris County Juvenile  
         Probation Department 
         Elizabeth Godwin, representing the Harris County District  
         Attorney 
         Ann Campbell, representing Juvenile Respondents 
          
         Panel 4   
         Judge Larry Thorne, representing Jefferson County 
         Officer Mike Griffiths, representing the Dallas County Juvenile  
         Department 
         Officer Carey Cockerell, representing Tarrant County Juvenile  
         Services 
         Officer Alan Brown, representing the Hunt County Juvenile  
         Probation Department 
         Officer James Martin, representing Jefferson County 
         Officer Orlando Torres, representing San Patricio, Aransas, Bee,  
         McMullen, and Live Oak counties and representing the Juvenile  
         Justice Association of Texas 
          
         Panel 5  
         Dee Kifowit, representing the Texas Council on Offenders with  
         Mental Impairments 
         Russell Mai, representing the Council on Alcohol and Drugs -  
         Houston 
         Dr. Elaine Rodney, representing self 
         Dr. Phillip Lyons, representing the College of Criminal Justice,  
         Sam Houston State University 
         Miguel Anglada, representing the Texas Department of Mental  
         Health and Mental Retardation 
          
         The following people registered but did not testify: 
          
         George Ford, representing the Harris County Children's  
  
         Protective Services 
         Dr. Regina Hicks, representing the Texas Department of Mental  
         Health and Mental Retardation - Harris County  
         Ernest McMillan, representing the Fifth Ward Enrichment Program 
          
         There being no further business, at 3:42 p.m. Senator West moved  
         that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of the  
         chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Royce West, Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Stephanie Hoover, Clerk