AUSTIN – The Right on Crime campaign is excited to announce the newest member of its team, former Texas House Corrections Chairman Jerry Madden (R-Plano). Madden served 20 years in the Texas House of Representatives and was the leading legislator on criminal justice reform during his tenure.
Madden’s innovative ideas on sentencing and corrections helped to transform Texas’ criminal justice system, contributing to lower crime rates and reduced recidivism at a lower cost to taxpayers. He now joins the Right on Crime team as a Senior Fellow and will be spreading the message of the Texas model and the need for cost-effective policy solutions that enhance public safety throughout the country.
Right on Crime is a national campaign of the Texas Public Policy Foundation that supports fighting crime, prioritizing victims and protecting taxpayers. It was founded in 2010 in order to increase public awareness of the truly conservative stance on criminal justice policy, based on values such as limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. National conservative leaders such as tax activist Grover Norquist, former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former Attorney General Ed Meese, and former federal “drug czar” Bill Bennett are among those who have signed the Right on Crime Statement of Principles.
Foundation President and CEO Brooke Rollins said, “We are proud of the work on criminal justice reform that Chairman Madden did when he was in the Texas Legislature. He shepherded important reforms into law that have led to a reduction in the prison population and most importantly a safer Texas. These are exactly the types of reforms that we need around the country, and we are happy to have Chairman Madden on board to spread the word for Right on Crime.”
“We are thrilled to have such a great leader on state criminal justice reform as Chairman Madden. He will be a huge asset when it comes to explaining to policy makers and media around the country how to implement smart criminal justice reform based on conservative principles,” said Marc Levin, Director of the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
The implementation of Right on Crime’s principles has seen successes throughout the country, especially in Texas under Madden’s leadership. The Texas reforms, which occurred over the past eight years, have helped reduce the number of new crimes by those on parole by 11.9 percent, and cut the overall crime rate in Texas to its lowest level since 1968. At the same time, the state has avoided spending nearly $2 billion in projected prison costs. The strong results and bipartisan approach are among the reasons Governing Magazine named Madden a Public Official of the Year in 2010.
Madden is an engineer by training and graduated from The United States Military Academy at West Point. He received his Master of Information Science degree from the University of Texas at Dallas. Madden was recognized by the American Legislative Exchange Council as “Legislator of the Year” in 2011. That year, he also was recognized by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility as a Taxpayer Advocate. Madden has received a Distinguished Service Award from The Council of State Governments, which is awarded to outstanding individuals and organizations who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to advancing excellence in state government.
Brooke Rollins is President and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Marc Levin is Director of the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Right on Crime is a national campaign that supports fighting crime, prioritizing victims and protecting taxpayers.
Primary website: www.rightoncrime.com
Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RightOnCrime
Twitter feed: www.Twitter.com/RightOnCrime
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