Representative Madden to Chair Redistricting Hearing in Richardson

SEPTEMBER 22, 2010 - University of Texas at Dallas

Date: June 3, 2010

State Representative Jerry Madden will chair the Redistricting Hearing to be held by the Joint Committees on Redistricting and Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence. The hearing will be held September 22nd, 2010 on the campus of the University of Texas at Dallas. The hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will continue throughtout the day.

Their will be hearing held in other parts of the state to include:

June 21, 2010 - San Antonio
July 19-21, 2010 - McAllen, Laredo, Corpus Christi
August 16-18, 2010 - El Paso, Lubbock
September 20-22, 2010 - Dallas, Richardson, Fort Worth
October 18-20, 2010 - Beaumont, Marshall
November 15-17, 2010 - Houston, Austin

Again, please note these dates on your calendar for planning purposes. Dates and locations are subject to change by the Chairmen of the Committees in cooperation with the Speaker's office.

Representative Jerry Madden Among Leaders Testifying at Congressional Hearing on Justice Reinvestment

Washington, DC— Texas State Representative Jerry Madden (R-Plano), vice chair of the House Corrections Committee, was among the expert witnesses requested to speak about “justice reinvestment” before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security last week. Madden joined several government leaders and corrections experts to testify at the May 11 congressional hearing on the Criminal Justice Reinvestment Act of 2009. The act would establish a grant program to help states and local jurisdictions reduce spending on corrections, control growth in the prison and jail populations, and increase public safety.

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Business as Usual Not A Wise Choice When Better

Model with Proven Track Record Exists Washington, DC----Today, Rep. Madden appeared before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee’s Sub-committee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security to promote enactment of HR 4080, the Criminal Justice Reinvestment Act of 2009, and HR 4055, the Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) Initiative Act of 2009.

Rep. Madden took the opportunity to use this national platform to tell the story of how Texas is refocusing its criminal justice policies which has produced numerous positive outcomes for society and the state’s fiscal posture. For the better part of a decade, Texas had engaged in a massive prison expansion endeavor to the tune of billions of dollars, with the end result being “if you build it, they will come.” In 2007, the state’s prison population was again projected to grow sizably over the next five years (14,000 to 17,000 new inmates), requiring the construction of possibly three new prisons ($2 billion anticipated to only build these facilities, not including operating and staffing expenses, outlays for food, medical care, and other necessities for inmates, and ongoing maintenance).

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Key Legislators Meet with UT Dallas Students and Administrators

This spring, five key state legislators visited The University of Texas at Dallas to teach “Campaigns and Elections,” an undergraduate honors course offered by the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences. Several of the legislators also had the opportunity to tour campus and learn about some of the University’s hallmark programs.

Visiting legislators included:

•Representative Ellen Cohen from Houston.
•Representative Rob Eissler from The Woodlands.
•Representative Carol Kent from Dallas.
•Representative Jerry Madden from Richardson.
•Representative Michael Villarreal from San Antonio.

“Our students are so lucky to get to spend time with these leaders face to face. The skills they develop in communicating with important people will serve them well in the rest of their academic and professional careers.”

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STATE LAWMAKERS HONORED FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF DWI COURTS

National Center for DWI Courts and Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. Thank Rep. Madden and Sen. Seliger for Their Work to Prevent Drunk Driving

WHAT:
• The National Center for DWI Courts, judges, law enforcement and Beam Global executives unite to support DWI Court and honor Rep. Madden and Sen. Seliger for their work passing H.B. 530
• DWI Courts successfully address hardcore and repeat drunk driving offenders by providing long-term, ongoing accountability and rehabilitation, in addition to conviction.
• Since the passage of H.B. 530 the number of DWI courts has tripled in Texas.

WHO:
• Representative Jerry Madden, District 67
• Senator Kel Seliger, District 31
• The Honorable Elixateth A. Earle, Travis County Court #7
• David Wallace, director, National Center for DWI Courts
• Matt Stanton, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Beam Global Spirits & Wine

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PRESS RELEASE

Explosive growth in the number of people on probation or parole has propelled the population of the American corrections system to more than 7.3 million. The Department of Justice reports that one of every 15 people in this country will serve a prison term during their lifetime and one in 31 individuals is currently in prison, on probation or parole. Of those released, 67.5% will be rearrested within three years. Having a meaningful job with a livable wage and reducing the barriers to employment has proven to reduce the likelihood of re-offending. By networking with others throughout the nation, all attendees have the opportunity to learn better practices and implement them in their home communities.

The Defendant/Offender Workforce Development (DOWD) Awards Committee announces the awardees for the 2010 DOWD National Awards for their outstanding chievements in prisoner reentry. The Awards will be presented at the 2010 DOWD Conference in Dallas (TX) at the downtown Hyatt Regency.

This year’s awardees include:

JUSTICE REINVESTMENT-STATE CHAMPION AWARD - Texas Representative Jerry Madden from Plano (TX)

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