Lawmakers in Texas are hotly debating a proposal to address prison overcrowding by shifting low-level offenders into community-based programs and addiction treatment, the Dallas Morning News reported Jan. 4.

In a state known for its "lock-em-up" mentality, some influential lawmakers are bucking prison officials who are calling for construction of three new prisons to accommodate a projected overflow of 11,000 prisoners. But lawmakers like Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston), chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, says that Texas already has 151,000 people in prison -- thanks to a decade-long initiative to triple the state's prison capacity -- and that continuing to build new facilities isn't cost effective and doesn't address the root causes of crime.

Whitmire said that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice "has fewer and fewer allies as the facts get out. We're at a crossroads. There's a strong consensus to do things differently, to continue being tough, but to be smart about inmates who need a different kind of treatment."

Jerry Madden (R-Plano), chair of the House Committee on Corrections, also opposes more prison building. "We need to think about what the alternatives are for people you and I are not afraid of," he said. "That's giving them assistance to straighten out their lives."

Prison experts counter that in addition to the new prisons they also want to create new treatment programs, halfway houses, mental-health services and community supervision programs. "We're not just suggesting building new prison units -- we're looking for ways to transition them back into society," said Michelle Lyons, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman.

Studies have shown that adding inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment could save Texas $31.9 million annually and avoid 2,000 incarcerations each year. "The tragedy, during the buildup, was that we did not provide more funds for rehabilitation," said Sen. John Carona (R-Dallas). "Now we end up with prisoners who, upon their release, are no more skilled, but meaner and tougher than when they entered."