State funding for the Special Prosecution Unit (SPU) totals $10.0 million for the 2014–15 biennium. The SPU is charged with prosecuting crimes that occur within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and initiating civil commitment proceedings against sexually violent predators that have been released from TDCJ by either discharge of sentence or by release on mandatory supervision. Also, the Eightieth Legislature, 2007, enacted legislation that requires SPU to prosecute offenses or delinquent conduct committed in Texas Youth Commission (TYC) facilities.
The SPU includes three divisions: the Criminal Prison Prosecution Division, the Civil Commitment Division, and the Juvenile Division. All three divisions are headquartered in Huntsville and are led by an Executive Director.
The SPU is governed by an executive board of 11 district attorneys who are selected by district attorneys who have prisons or TYC facilities in their districts. Th e executive board establishes policies and procedures for SPU, approves expenditures, and reviews progress reports. The board also appoints the SPU’s Executive Director.
The Criminal Division primarily investigates and prosecutes violent crime within the Texas prison system. In addition, the division prosecutes other crimes that occur within the prison system such as weapons offenses, drug off enses, bribery, theft, civil rights violations, and other criminal off enses. The Criminal Division prosecutes not only inmates but also TDCJ officials, employees, or civilians who commit crimes while on property owned, operated, or controlled by TDCJ. The division receives grant funding from the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor’s Office and General Revenue Funds.
In fiscal year 1984, a group of district attorneys established the SPU. Since then, the state prison population increased from 38,000 to nearly 153,000 inmates in more than 110 private and public units as of August 31, 2013. In fi scal year 2013, the Criminal Division disposed of 413 cases, including murder, possession of contraband, aggravated assault on a public servant, sexual assault, bribery, and possession of a deadly weapon in a penal institution.
Because many prison units are located in rural areas, prison caseloads may overburden limited resources of local prosecutors. The Criminal Division provides prosecution assistance to local offices with prison caseloads. When the Criminal Division’s services are used, the prosecutor and investigator assigned to the geographical area coordinate the prosecution with the local district attorney. Th e Criminal Division assists investigations in the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for TDCJ, local law enforcement agencies and the district attorney’s office. Personnel from the Criminal Division work closely with the OIG, advising it on criminal law and assisting in investigations and prosecutions. Additionally, the Criminal Division handles the appellate work that often results from a successful prosecution. The Criminal Division also works closely with TDCJ and OIG to implement the Texas Safe Prisons Act and the federal
Prison Rape Elimination Act, which strive to reduce the number of sexual assaults in prison through prosecution of those who commit such sexual assaults. Because venue in these cases lies in the county in which the offense occurs, the Criminal Division maintains offices in seven areas of the state. The main office is located in Huntsville, and satellite offi ces are located in Amarillo, Angleton, Beeville, Bonham, Lampasas, and Palestine. The locations of these offices allow for closer cooperation with personnel of TDCJ, OIG and district attorneys in those regions and allow the Criminal Division to work more closely with prison units across the state.
The Seventy-sixth Legislature, 1999, established the Civil Division of the SPU, which is responsible for initiating and pursuing civil commitment proceedings against sexually violent predators. Sexually violent predators are defi ned as persons with a behavioral abnormality that makes the person more likely to engage in a predatory act of violence if the person is unsupervised. The division receives General Revenue Funds. Pursuant to the statute for civil commitments, TDCJ must notify the SPU upon the anticipated release of a person serving a sentence for a sexually violent off ense if TDCJ determines that the person fits the criteria for a sexually violent predator. Thereafter, the SPU must file a petition alleging predator status, and a trial date is set within 60 days for a judge or jury to make a determination of the person’s predator status. Because the SPU’s main office is located in Huntsville, civil commitment proceedings take place in the 435th District Court in Montgomery County. (See page 16 for an additional description of the court.) If the person is found to be a predator, the Presiding Judge must commit the person for outpatient treatment and supervision, which may include supervised housing. Persons committed to supervision are entitled to a biennial review of their predator statuses before a judge or jury. If the state cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a person is likely to engage in a predatory act of sexual violence, the person can be released from supervision.
Figure 30 shows the caseload of the Civil Division from
fiscal years 2009 to 2013. The division has consistently initiated an estimated 50 civil commitments each fi scal year since that division’s inception.
As of August 2013, the SPU reports that since fi scal year 2000, the Civil Division has civilly committed 314 individuals, and 22 cases are pending. Th e Offi ce of Violent Sex Offender Management provides the treatment and supervision of sex offenders who have been civilly committed.
FIGURE 30
CIVIL DIVISION PERFORMANCE MEASURES FISCAL YEARS 2009 TO 2013 COMMITMENTS 122 177 227 269 314 0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300 325 350 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Filed Disposed Pending (as of August 31) Committed (Cumulative)
SOURCE: Special Prosecution Unit.
The agency is administratively attached to the Department of State Health Services.
The Juvenile Division was established by the Eightieth Legislature, 2007, through the passage of Senate Bill 103, to prosecute crimes that occur in the Texas Youth Commission (TYC). With the passage of Senate Bill 653, the Eighty- second Legislature, 2011, combined the Texas Youth Commission and the Juvenile Probation Commission to establish the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD). Th e Juvenile Division’s duties include prosecuting juveniles, as well as employees and civilians committing crimes in TJJD facilities. The division’s caseload primarily falls in Corsicana, Edinburg, Beaumont and Brownwood, based upon facility location. The Juvenile Division filed 119 Juvenile Petitions and disposed of 198 criminal cases in fiscal year 2013.