Probation Failing Young Offenders
The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, a research and advocacy organization on CJ reform, has just issued a report on the use of probation for youthful offenders in Texas.
TCJC In the News
Press Contact: For all media inquiries, please contact Torrie Bethany, Communications Manager, at tbethany@texascjc.org or (512) 441-8123, Ext. 108.
Harris County inmate hangs herself, marking jail's 2nd apparent suicide in a month
A Harris County inmate jailed on a theft charge died after hanging herself in a common area of the jail late Tuesday, marking the facility's second suicide in less than a month.
After Release, Texas Criminal Offenders Face Reentry Realities
What happens to people after they're released from the Texas criminal justice system? Probation is typically the next step, but what does that process look like and how does it work?
Read the rest of this article at Texas Public Radio's The Source.
Treatment options for drug use severely lacking in Texas, experts say
The consensus was clear at the state Capitol among criminal justice and Child Protective Services professionals facing the nation’s opioid crisis: Texas needs more treatment options.
Read the rest of this article at The Austin American-Statesman.
Lawmakers get a lesson on the drug problem in Texas, by the numbers
Drug abuse is involved 70 percent of the time when Texas Child Protective Services removes children from their families. Half of the inmates in county jails across the state have demonstrated a need for drug treatment.
Texas Gov. Abbott proposes tougher bail laws for defendants who represent a threat to police
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is backing an effort to keep defendants with violent pasts behind bars. On Tuesday, Abbott appeared in Waco to ask state lawmakers to pass a new law that, among other things, would require judges to set bail based partly on whether the accused person is a threat to law enforcement.
Health and Advocacy Organizations Urge the Texas Legislature to Implement Effective Strategies to Address Substance Use Disorder
A coalition of health and advocacy groups have jointly developed recommendations to address substance use disorder in Texas.
Texas criminal justice professionals push for more treatment options to fight opioid crisis
Criminal justice and child protective services professionals told legislators Tuesday that the state is severely lacking in treatment services to combat the opioid crisis and other substance use problems.
Read the rest of this article at The Austin American-Statesman.
Probation Sets Up Young Adults for Failure: Report
The Texas Criminal Justice coalition calls for reforms to community supervision that are “developmentally appropriate” to young people who age out of the juvenile justice system but are still too immature to understand the consequences of their behavior.
Women-Led Initiatives Are Closing the Gender Gap in Prison Coding Programs
Coding bootcamps for prisoners have been around since 2014, but they used to be exclusively for men. Girl Develop It is one of the women-led programs tackling that problem.
One Size FAILS All: Why Probation Doesn’t Work for Young Adults in Texas
The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition released its newest report today, which examines how Texas’ probation system continuously fails young adults. The report, Young Adults and Community Supervision: The Need for a Developmentally Appropriate Approach to Probation, reveals that traditional probation practices are ineffective with 17- to 25-year-olds on adult felony probation.
Another citizen review board for Austin police in the works
Since June, a working group has been meeting quietly to discuss what kind of public oversight is needed for the Austin Police Department.
Advocates Seek Oversight for Texas Prison Agency
The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and the Texas Inmates Family Association said the recent felony charges and other ongoing problems highlight the need for independent investigations into one of the most opaque state agencies.
Advocacy groups call for outside watchdog of Texas prisons after guard indictments
After several Texas prison employees were indicted earlier this month for allegedly conspiring to plant screwdrivers in an inmate’s cell, advocacy groups are calling for an outside entity to serve as a watchdog of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Heat wave sparks concerns in sweltering Texas prisons
State prison officials are in emergency-response mode this week as a heat wave bears down on a large swath of Texas, rivaling the system that triggered the deaths of 10 inmates from heat stroke in 2011.
Accused Houston murderer’s spree highlights gaps in finding parole violators, law officials say
As investigators build their case against the man they have accused of cutting off his ankle monitor and killing three people, top law officials say the tragedy raises questions about the oversight and tracking of parole violators in Houston.
College Degree Options Are Disappearing for Women in Texas Prisons
By 2020, the only bachelor's degree programs available to incarcerated women in Texas will end. TCJC's Lindsey Linder shares the importance of adding more degree programs for women and examination of barriers to entry.
Texas’ Current Bail System Endangers Public Safety
Lindsey Linder joins Bill Hammond of Texas Smart On Crime Coalition on an op-ed regardng the unjust pretrial practices of money bail bonds, their harm to the poor, and endangerment to public safety.
Meet the Harris County Public Defender Who’s Crowdfunding Books For Her Clients
Public defender Amalia Beckner crowdfunds to purchase books for jailed clients. TCJC's Doug Smith shares his personal story to the power of books behind bars.
Video Announces Bipartisan Federal Legislation to Help Incarcerated Mothers and Babies
U.S. Reps. Karen Bass (D-CA) and Mia Love (R-UT) Urge All Women in Congress to Co-Sponsor their Forthcoming Bill During Women Unshackled: The Next Step