🟡Relating to training on de-escalation, crisis intervention, and behavioral health for correctional officers and certain other employees of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

HB 2756

🟡 HB 2756: Correctional officer safety training leaves oversight gaps

What it says it does:
HB 2756, the “Jovian Motley Act,” requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to train correctional officers and their supervisors in de-escalation, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and behavioral health awareness. It’s meant to reduce injuries and prevent deaths during inmate confrontations.

What it actually changes:
It adds mandatory annual training but gives TDCJ full control over how the program is designed, delivered, and enforced. The final version narrowed coverage to officers and their supervisors only, excluding other staff who still have daily inmate contact.

Who is pushing for it:
Support in the files came from Dream.Org, NAMI Texas, Texas Correctional Employees Council, Texas Appleseed, Methodist Healthcare Ministries, and the Texas Council of Community Centers. These groups emphasized safety, mental health, and reform inside TDCJ.

Who benefits:
Correctional officers gain access to safer tools and awareness training. Advocacy groups and unions can point to progress on officer safety without major fiscal costs. TDCJ gains administrative discretion over a new program it fully controls.

Who gets left out or exposed:
Medical, food service, and transport staff were cut from the bill’s final coverage even though they face similar risks. There’s no independent review or enforcement process, so training quality may vary or decline if budgets tighten.

Why this matters long term:
The bill’s intent is good, but its structure keeps oversight internal to TDCJ and leaves out large parts of the workforce. It creates precedent for “agency-only” implementation without transparency, a pattern that could expand in future reforms.

What to watch next:
Watch for future vendor contracts to deliver training and whether TDCJ audits or reports outcomes publicly. If results stay internal, Texans won’t know if the training works or if it’s just procedural compliance.

Bottom line:
HB 2756 honors Officer Jovian Motley’s memory and aims to prevent future loss of life, but without external oversight or broader staff inclusion, it risks becoming a symbolic fix rather than systemic change.

#HB2756 #TexasPolicy #Corrections #PublicSafety #WatchTheRules