Overview
Texas. Criminal Justice
Division.
Records
[1977?], 1983, 1986-1995
(bulk
1991-1995)
Types of records
include correspondence, photographs, news clippings, copies of bills, bill
analyses, and audio cassette tapes that date from [1977?], 1983, 1986 to
1995
(bulk 1991-1995) and are correspondence, legislative bill files, and
recordings
of the Criminal Justice Division of the Office of the Governor of
Texas.
97 cubic
ft.
Please
note that these records are stored at the State Records Center. Records
requested before 10:00 a.m. will usually be available by 4:00 p.m. the same
day. Records requested after 10:00 a.m. and before 3:00 p.m will usually be
available the next day.
English.
Restrictions on Access
None.
Restrictions on Use
None.
Preferred Citation
(Identify the item and cite the series), Records, Criminal Justice
Division, Texas Office of the Governor. Archives and Information Services
Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Agency History
The Criminal Justice Division of the Office of the Governor is
responsible for preparing an annual state criminal justice plan that
details
goals, priorities, and standards for improving the criminal justice system.
The
division administers state and federal grant funds and awards funds to
criminal
justice, juvenile justice, and victim service projects. Eligible applicants
for
these funds include state agencies, regional councils of governments,
cities,
counties, colleges and universities, private nonprofit corporations,
independent school districts, and regional education service centers. Once
the
grants have been awarded, they are monitored, evaluated, and audited by the
division. It also hosts town hall meetings statewide, which are designed to
identify areas of public concern and to help develop more aggressive
funding
initiatives. In addition, the office provides interactive video conference
training for existing and potential grantees. The Criminal Justice Division
is
the statewide headquarters for Texas Crime Stoppers and the Texas Narcotics
Control Program.
Scope and Contents
Types of records present include correspondence, photographs, news
clippings, copies of bills, bill analyses, and audio cassettes. Records
date
from [1977?], 1983, 1986 to 1995 (bulk 1991-1995) and are correspondence,
legislative bill files, and recordings of the Criminal Justice Division of
the
Office of the Governor of Texas. Most incoming letters are from prison
inmates
or from individual citizens concerned about an incarcerated family member
or
with some aspect of criminal justice. Some letters are from federal, state,
or
local officials. Most records were generated during the term of Governor
Ann
Richards. Legislative bill files are dated 1993 (73rd Legislature) and
relate,
for example, to the establishment of the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice,
amendment of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and concealed handguns. Audio
cassette tapes were created or gathered during Governor Bill Clements' term
and
are recordings relating to drug abuse, mostly of public hearings held by
the
Governor's Task Force on Drug Abuse's subcommittees on drug policy and law
enforcement.
Organization of the Records
These records are organized into three series:
- Correspondence, 1991-1995, 96 cubic ft.
- Legislative bill files, 1993, 1 cubic ft.
- Audio cassette tapes concerning drug abuse, [1977?], 1983,
1986-1987, 1989, fractional
Index Terms
The terms listed here were used to catalog
the
records. The terms can be used to find similar or related records.
Subjects:
Prisoners--Legal
status,
laws, etc.
Drug
abuse--Texas.
Prisoners--Texas.
Capital
punishment--Texas.
Firearms--Law and
legislation.
Gun
control--Texas.
Criminal
law--Texas.
Criminal justice,
Administration of--Texas.
Document Types:
Correspondence--Texas--Prisoners--1991-1995.
Photographs--Texas--Criminal justice, Administration
of--1991-1995.
Clippings--Texas--Criminal
justice, Administration of--1991-1995.
Audio
cassettes--Texas--Drug abuse--[1977?], 1983, 1986-1987, 1989.
Bills (legislative
records)--Texas--Criminal law--1993.
Functions:
Advising on criminal
justice.
Developing criminal
law.
Related Material
The following materials are offered as
possible sources of further information on the agencies and subjects
covered by
the records. The listing is not exhaustive.
Texas State
Archives
Texas Department of Criminal Justice,
Records, 1849-2004,
170.08 cubic ft.Texas Office of the
Governor, Criminal Justice Division,
Records, 1969-1979, 37 cubic ft.Texas
Office of the Governor, Criminal Justice Division,
Records, 1982-1983, 1987-1988, 3.5 cubic ft.
Texas Office of the Governor, General
Counsel records,
1973-1990, bulk 1987-1990, 24.5 cubic ft.
Texas Punishment Standards Commission records,
1983, 1986-1993,
undated, bulk
1989-1993, 6.89 cubic
ft.
Center for American History,
The University of Texas at Austin
Ann W. Richards Papers, 1933-2000, ca.
1500 ft.
Processing Information
Lisa M. Hendricks, April 1998
Tonia J. Wood, May 2002
Accession Information
Accession numbers: 1998/073, 1998/076
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information
Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the
Criminal Justice Division of the Office of the Governor on February 3 and
9,
1998.
Correspondence,
1991-1995,
96 cubic ft.
Records present are correspondence with some photographs and news
clippings dating from January 1991 to January 1995. Records are correspondence
files of the Criminal Justice Division of the Office of the Governor of Texas.
Most incoming letters are from prison inmates or individual citizens concerned
about an incarcerated family member or with some aspect of criminal justice.
Some letters are from federal, state, or local officials. Letters are addressed
to Governor Ann Richards or to personnel in the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice or the Texas Department of Public Safety, for example, with copies
being sent to the governor's office as well.
Topics addressed in the correspondence include the death penalty,
the need for gun control legislation, pleas for intervention in matters of
prison sentencing, parole, or personal problems of prison inmates. Of
particular interest are letters from members of Amnesty International (Box 67)
stating opposition to the execution of Johnny Garrett on February 11, 1992.
Another group of correspondence (Box 68) relates largely to mistreatment and
abuse of prisoners in the Michael Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice. The 1993 letters relating to Waco and the Branch Davidian compound
disaster and the violation of the civil rights of inmate Donald Thomas can be
found in Boxes 69 and 70 respectively.
Most letters received an answer from the governor's office, though
most answers were to inform correspondents that their letters were forwarded to
other more appropriate officials or state agencies for resolution or
assistance. Other letters are marked NRN on the cover sheet indicating that no
reply was necessary. Incoming letters with attachments such as photographs or
news clippings are stapled to copies of any outgoing letters from the
governor's office together with cover sheets documenting the routing and
handling of the incoming letters. Records marked Miscellaneous Correspondence primarily document incoming
phone calls and faxes to the governor's office related to the criminal justice
system.
Arrangement
Records are arranged in chronological order according to the date
the letters were received by the governor's office, not by the dates either the
incoming or the outgoing letters were written. Records marked
Miscellaneous Correspondence are arranged in no
apparent order.
1
January 2, 1991 through February 30,
1991
2
March 1, 1991 through April 5,
1991
3
April 6, 1991 through April 22,
1991
4
May 21, 1991 through June 10,
1991
5
June 11, 1991 through June 30,
1991
6
July 1, 1991 through July 16,
1991
7
July 17, 1991 through August 8,
1991
8
August 9, 1991 through August 20,
1991
9
August 21, 1991 through September 12,
1991
10
September 13, 1991 through September 30,
1991
11
October 1, 1991 through October 17,
1991
12
October 18, 1991 through November 4,
1991
13
November 5, 1991 through November 21,
1991
14
November 22, 1991 through December 9,
1991
15
December 10, 1991 through December 31,
1991
16
January 1, 1992 through January 14,
1992
17
January 15, 1992 through February 4,
1992
18
February 5, 1992 through February 20,
1992
19
February 21, 1992 through March 2,
1992
20
March 2, 1992 through March 9,
1992
21
March 10, 1992 through March 18,
1992
22
March 19, 1992 through March 29,
1992
23
March 30, 1992 through April 6,
1992
24
April 7, 1992 through April 14,
1992
25
April 15, 1992 through April 21,
1992
26
April 22, 1992 through April 27,
1992
27
April 28, 1992 through May 4,
1992
28
May 5, 1992 through May 12, 1992
29
May 13, 1992 through May 18,
1992
30
May 19, 1992 through June 2,
1992
31
June 3, 1992 through June 10,
1992
32
June 11, 1992 through June 23,
1992
33
June 24, 1992 through June 30,
1992
34
July 1, 1992 through July 17,
1992
35
July 20, 1992 through July 29,
1992
36
July 30, 1992 through August 12,
1992
37
August 13, 1992 through August 25,
1992
38
August 26, 1992 through September 9,
1992
39
September 10, 1992 through September 30,
1992
40
October 1, 1992 through October 23,
1992
41
October 26, 1992 through November 6,
1992
42
November 9, 1992 through November 17,
1992
43
November 18, 1992 through November 30,
1992
44
December 1, 1992 through December 14,
1992
45
December 15, 1992 through December 31,
1992
46
January 1, 1993 through January 20,
1993
47
January 21, 1993 through January 28,
1993
48
February 1, 1993 through February 18,
1993
49
February 19, 1993 through March 8,
1993
50
March 9, 1993 through March 23,
1993
51
March 24, 1993 through April 8,
1993
52
April 9, 1993 through April 24,
1993
53
April 25, 1993 through May 5,
1993
54
May 6, 1993 through May 25, 1993
55
May 26, 1993 through June 11,
1993
56
June 14, 1993 through July 23,
1993
57
July 1, 1993 through July 15,
1993
58
July 16, 1993 through August
1993
59
August 3, 1993 through August 23,
1993
60
August 24, 1993 through September 29,
1993
61
September 9, 1993 through September 29,
1993
62
October 1, 1993 through October 28,
1993
63
October 19, 1993 through October 29,
1993
64
November 1, 1993 through November 30,
1993
65
November 17, 1993 through December 15,
1993
66
December 3,1993 through December 30,
1993
67
Death penalty correspondence, Johnny Garrett,
November 10, 1992 through February 8,
1993
68
1992 Letters regarding Michael's Unit,
69
1993 Letters regarding Waco Branch Davidian
compound,
70
1993 Letters regarding inmate Donald Thomas,
71
January 1, 1994 through January 18,
1994
72
January 19, 1994 through January 27,
1994
73
January 28, 1994 through February 9,
1994
74
February 10, 1994 through February 21,
1994
75
February 22, 1994 through March 3,
1994
76
March 4, 1994 through March 15,
1994
77
March 16, 1994 through March 31,
1994
78
April 1, 1994 through April 18,
1994
79
April 19, 1994 through April 30,
1994
80
May 1, 1994 through May 16, 1994
81
May 17, 1994 through May 31,
1994
82
June 1, 1994 through June 16,
1994
83
June 17, 1994 through July 5,
1994
84
July 6, 1994 through July 20,
1994
85
July 21, 1994 through August 8,
1994
86
August 9, 1994 through August 28,
1994
87
August 29, 1994 through September 9,
1994
88
September 10, 1994 through September 23,
1994
89
September 24, 1994 through October 11,
1994
90
October 12, 1994 through October 10,
31
91
November 1, 1994 through November 8,
1994
92
November 9, 1994 through November 30,
1994
93
December 1, 1994 through December 13,
1994
94
December 14, 1994 through December 31,
1994
95
January 2, 1995 through January 16,
1995
96
Miscellaneous correspondence,
1991 through 1995
(bulk 1992-1994)
Legislative bill files,
1993,
1 cubic ft.
Types of records present include copies of bills, bill analyses,
news clippings, and correspondence. Records are dated 1993 (73rd Legislature)
and are legislative bill files of the Criminal Justice Division of the
Governor's office. Bills relate, for example, to the establishment of the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice, amendment of the Code of Criminal Procedure,
concealed handguns, sensitivity training programs for police officers, the
identification of stolen vehicles before they cross the Mexican border, defense
and probation conditions for child molesters, a program of registration of sex
offenders, half-way houses, the criminal conviction of minors, and testimony
introduced in a parole board hearing.
Arrangement
Records are in no apparent order and remain in the order received.
97
Bill files, 73rd Legislature,
1993
Audio cassette tapes concerning drug abuse,
[1977?], 1983, 1986-1987, 1989,
fractional
Records are 21 audio cassette tapes dating [1977?], 1983,
1986-1987, 1989, from the Criminal Justice Division of the Texas Office of the
Governor. Tapes are recordings of conferences, talk shows, and public hearings
concerning drug abuse. Recordings of conferences and talk shows concern
marijuana and LSD, and the NORML and PRIDE conferences. Most of the tapes are
recordings of public hearings held by the Governor's Task Force on Drug Abuse.
The Subcommittee on Law Enforcement met in Corpus Christi, Arlington, and El
Paso in June 1987 and the Subcommittee on Drug Policy met in Arlington, and El
Paso in January 1989 to gather information to develop the Texas Statewide Drug
Strategy and Texas Narcotics Control Program. Archives staff checked the tapes
for identifying information but did not listen to the tapes in their entirety.
Arrangement
Tapes are in chronological order.
Accession Information
Accession number: 1998/076
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information
Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by by the
Criminal Justice Division of the Texas Office of the Governor on February 9,
1998.
Processed by
Lisa M. Hendricks, April 1998
Tonia J. Wood, May 2002
3
Audio cassette tapes concerning drug abuse,
[1977?], 1983, 1986-1987, 1989:
3
On LSD, David E. Smith, M.D., Ronald K. Siegal, Ph.D.
[colloquium panel 34 years after discovery of LSD],
[1977?]
3
Michael Stepanian and Michael Tigar, Witch hunts for
drugs; Defending the drugless drug case, NORML Conf[erence],
1983
3
Marijuana and the Brain, Robert C. Gilkeson, M.D., on
Straight Talk,
July 1986
3
Otto Moulton on Straight
Talk,
July 1986
3
PRIDE Conference, O. Moulton, R. Hawley, BJ McConnell,
D. Bent, T. Gleaton,
March 1987
3
[Corpus Christi public hearing held by Governor's Task
Force on Drug Abuse, Law Enforcement Subcommittee],
June 4, 1987
[3 tapes]
3
Arlingon [public hearing held by Governor's Task Force
on Drug Abuse, Law Enforcement Subcommittee],
June 9, 1987
[4 tapes]
3
El Paso [public hearing held by Governor's Task Force
on Drug Abuse, Law Enforcement Subcommittee],
June 11, 1987
[3 tapes]
3
Arlingon [public hearing re: Texas Statewide Drug
Strategy, Texas Narcotics Control Program held by Governor's Task Force on Drug
Abuse, Drug Policy Subcommittee],
[January 1989?]
[2 tapes]
3
El Paso [public hearing re: Texas Statewide Drug
Strategy, Texas Narcotics Control Program held by Governor's Task Force on Drug
Abuse, Drug Policy Subcommittee],
January 6, 1989
[4 tapes]