FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: REGGIE BASHUR FEBRUARY 27, 1987 0 -- 512/463-1826 CLEMENTS SIGNS MEASURE TO ACTIVATE PRISON MANAGEMENT ACT AUSTIN, Texas -- In response to the certification by Attorney General Jim Mattox that the Texas Department of Corrections has reached 95 percent of capacity, Governor Clements today announced that the provisions of the Prison Management Act are being activated as required by law. Under amendments to the Prison Management Act recently enacted by the Legislature, only non-violent, non-assaultive inmates who are serving sentences of less that ten years and who do not pose a threat to public safety will be credited by prison officials with 60 days of administrative good conduct time. Governor Clements noted that these inmates would have been released within 30 days, regardless of the Prison Management Act. Governor Clements emphasized that this is not an early release program and that a portion of the $20 million recently appropriated for the criminal justice system by the Legislature will provide intensive supervision of these inmates. Governor Clements indicated that all of the inmates receiving parole certificates in compliance with the Prison Management Act will go to halfway houses for a period of not less than 45 days and will not be released directly to the streets. "The people of Texas expect that criminals will serve their sentences and not be free to prey upon law-abiding citizens. Under the provisions of the new Prison Management Act, prisoners will not be indiscriminately set at .........---- large. Instead, lengthier sentences are being required of these non-violent, non-assaultive inmates, since they will finish out their sentences in the restricted confines of halfway house facilities."