Texas statute
Tex. Penal Code § 1.02 — Objectives of code
Current through 89th Legislature, 2nd Called Session (2025)
Part of Chapter 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS, Texas Penal Code.
Full text of Tex. Penal Code § 1.02
Statutory text current through the 89th Legislature, 2nd Called Session (2025). This publication reproduces the official statutory text; it is not the official statutes of the State of Texas.
The general purposes of this code are to establish a system of prohibitions, penalties, and correctional measures to deal with conduct that unjustifiably and inexcusably causes or threatens harm to those individual or public interests for which state protection is appropriate. To this end, the provisions of this code are intended, and shall be construed, to achieve the following objectives: (1) to insure the public safety through: (A) the deterrent influence of the penalties hereinafter provided; (B) the rehabilitation of those convicted of violations of this code; and (C) such punishment as may be necessary to prevent likely recurrence of criminal behavior; (2) by definition and grading of offenses to give fair warning of what is prohibited and of the consequences of violation; (3) to prescribe penalties that are proportionate to the seriousness of offenses and that permit recognition of differences in rehabilitation possibilities among individual offenders; (4) to safeguard conduct that is without guilt from condemnation as criminal; (5) to guide and limit the exercise of official discretion in law enforcement to prevent arbitrary or oppressive treatment of persons suspected, accused, or convicted of offenses; and (6) to define the scope of state interest in law enforcement against specific offenses and to systematize the exercise of state criminal jurisdiction.
Official sources
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