Throughout the 1980s and early 90s Texas had the highest crime rates of any state in the US. George W Bush became Governor in 1994 on a promise that he would crack crime in the Lone Star State. His approach was to get tough on crime; he tripled the number of prison beds, lengthened prison sentences, made parole a thing of the past and encouraged the death penalty with zeal.

Under Bush crime rates halved in Texas. The state now boasts the highest incarceration and execution rates in the world. Bush's methods became known as The Texas Solution.

However, we are told Bush's solution wasn't just about locking them up and throwing away the key. It was about positive rehabilitation for the juveniles and calling on Texan citizens' frontier spirit to get involved. Marcel Theroux journeys through the Lone Star justice system to find out whether Bush's Texas Solution is something we should be learning from.

For more information about the issues raised in the programme, check out the following links:

Amnesty: Death Penalty
www.amnesty.org.uk/action/camp/dp/
Amnesty International provides facts and figures about the death penalty and its consequences around the world.

Crime and Justice on the Web
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/ 
The Observer's guide to the best online resources for crime and justice information.

Crime Reduction
www.crimereduction.gov.uk
Aims to provide information and advice to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in local areas.

Crime Stoppers
www.crimestoppers-uk.org
Independent charity running a scheme which allows individuals to give information anonymously about any crime. Calls are not traced and individuals never have to give a statement or go to court.

George W. Bush’s Texas
www.feminista.com/archives/v3n3/estep.html
Written in 1999 this article looks at the damaging effects Bush’s Governorship had on women, children and minority groups in Texas. Bush did nothing to improve appallingly high levels of poverty, poor education and lack of civil rights through his legislation.

Gun Control Organisations and Violence Prevention Programmes
www.gun-control-network.org/gate.htm
Lists organisations around the world and links to information on UK statistics and legislation on firearms.

Gun Control vs Gun Rights
www.opensecrets.org/news/guns/index.htm
Looks at the many issues surrounding gun ownership in the United States.

Neighbourhood Watch
www.neighbourhoodwatch.net
Has lots of useful information on crime prevention and lists local groups across the UK.

Prison Reform Trust
www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/
Main aim is to create a just, humane and effective penal system. Their site has a comprehensive list of useful links.

Reprieve.org.uk
www.reprieve.org.uk/
Online resource on the subject of capital punishment. Has information on deaths carried out in the US, including British subjects recently killed.

Texas Department of Criminal Justice
www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/deathrow.htm
Information about the history of the death penalty in the US and more specific information about death row and deaths carried out in Texas.

Victim Support
www.victimsupport.org.uk
Independent charity which helps people cope with the effects of crime. Provides free and confidential support and information.

Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third party sites.

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