HOUSTON — Supporters and opponents of House Bill 1064 will be in Austin on Monday to testify before the House Corrections Committee.
People against the bill fear thousands of violent offenders would be up for parole as early as September if the bill passes. Meanwhile, supporters say it's the right thing to do.
HB 1064 or the "Good Time Credit" bill is up for debate today and it's legislation that would balance out punishment and mercy, according to its authors.
If passed, violent offenders would be eligible to receive earned time credit for good behavior, and for participating in vocational or educational programs.
Groups like the Texas Incarcerated Families Association fully support the bill.
"A society should want these people to be rehabilitated," said Executive Director Sharon McKinney. "They're going to come home to our neighborhood, our community anyway. They’re going to come home."
Right now, felons convicted of a violent offense must serve 50% of their sentence before they're eligible for parole, according to state law. HB 1064 would reduce that time significantly.
If signed into law, victim's advocates say it could pave the way for thousands of violent offenders to be up for parole as soon as September.
"Over 5,000 violent offenders, including murderers, rapists, robbers...the whole gamut. The day that bill is passed, they would be eligible for parole," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers of Houston.
Texas Representative Carl Sherman, who authored the bill, released the following statement to KHOU 11:
"This is not about Democrats or Republicans. This is about the people of Texas demanding that the State stop allowing fear to trump prudent first steps that lower recidivism and save taxpayers money."
More than 30 other states have some kind of earned time credit program already on the books. Backers of HB 1064 draw a direct line from former President Trump's criminal justice reform to this new measure and the effort to rehab offenders rather than punish them.
Supporters say the bill would in no way shorten any offender's actual sentence.