The Lones Star Weekly

Texas has been a national leader for prison reform, finding ways to partner with faith-based and community organizations to help prisoners change their lives instead of becoming career criminals.

Take Brian, for example, who fell into a crippling substance addiction and cycled in and out of prison and parole for four years. He relapsed over and over again, until he joined Restoration Outreach Dallas (ROD) Ministries' faith-based program to help criminals refocus their lives. With their help - and lots of hard work - Brian kicked his addiction and renewed his commitment to himself and his community. He is now an overseer of a ROD transitional home to help others like him. He tutors at-risk children, volunteers at a nursing home ministry, and is even working towards becoming a state-registered Peer Recovery Support Specialist.

I heard many touching success stories like Brian's when I visited ROD Ministries in Dallas earlier this month. There's no question: the Texas model of prison reform is working.

So this year, I introduced the CORRECTIONS Act, which would allow low-risk prisoners to participate in certain reform programs aimed at reducing their chance of returning to a life of crime and in turn earning up to 25% of their sentence in parole.

We can improve our criminal justice system, save money, and ensure safer communities if we follow the Texas model.

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