• • • WILLIAM P. CLEMENTS. JR. GOVERNOR //2 3 4// Dear //5//: STATE OF TEXAS OFF:CE OF THE GOVERNOR AUSTIN. TEXAS 7 8 7 11 January 20, 1988 9.08 Lasting Solutions Thank you for such a thoughtful and well-crafted letter addressing issues facing our Texas prison system. Those which you touch on are all critical in developing lasting solutions to our current problems. The inmate release plan recently instituted by the Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Texas Department of Corrections is an interim measure only. It was designed to cure a serious population problem in our prison system. The medium and long-term solutions will require careful planning and must, in my opinion, include provision for significant increases in prison capacity. Approximately 10,000 new beds have been approved and the site preparation and construction will soon begin. Projections indicate that additional capacity expansion will be necessary just to keep up with the expected increase in admissions to our system. Once we have established a solid foundation with adequate capacity, we can begin to deal in earnest with the range of issues involved in the criminal justice system. Thank you again for taking the time to write. Your thoughts on the matter are of real value to me and my staff. Sincerely, William P. Clements, Jr Governor WPC:pw/is