TCJE in the News

Press Contact: For all media inquiries, please contact Madison Kaigh, Communications Manager, at mkaigh@TexasCJE.orgor (512) 441-8123, ext. 108.

 

Screengrab of Observer headline, "Federal grants are rebooting higher education behind bars, but the benefits aren't evenly distributed to all of the incarcerated. by Michelle Pitcher

Course Corrections: The Return of Prison Education

On a lower level of the Wynne Unit, a state prison in Huntsville, about 20 men in white jumpsuits and matching white sneakers sit around the perimeter of a room. Their attention is focused on Paul Allen, who stands in front of them. He’s a familiar face in the unit of about 3,000 male prisoners: He’s been teaching there for years. Today, he’s leading the men through their capstone business course, for many the final step on the path to getting their associate of applied science degrees in business.

Read the rest of this article from the Texas Observer.

Cover of our Finish the 5 policy brief

“Finish the 5” Policy Plan to Close Texas’s Youth Prisons

Today, the Texas Center for Justice and Equity (TCJE) released a policy brief outlining a path to closing Texas’s five youth prisons by 2027. “Finish the 5: Our Journey to Zero Youth Prisons in Texas” includes a history of abuse in Texas’s youth punishment system and policy recommendations to close all five facilities while prioritizing child and community safety. 

Read the rest of this press release here.

Maurice Watts in San Augustine

East Texas nonprofit hopes small loans and job training will ease the hardships of leaving prison

Maurice Watts pulled up to a compact, red-brick building on a recent Thursday morning, dressed in black athletic clothes and a Houston Astros baseball cap. He had spent the previous 12 hours driving an 18-wheeler truck for Common Disposal, a saltwater transport company based in San Augustine, Watts’ hometown in rural East Texas.

Read the rest of this article from the Texas Tribune.

Spectrum News screengrab of Maggie's tattoo reading No justice No peace

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has a plan to reduce crime, but will it work?

In his first TV ad, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick focuses on rising crime in Texas. He plans to address the issue during the next legislative session. “Texans are fed up with violent crime and skyrocketing murder rates. To stop it, I will pass legislation next session to add a 10-year mandatory jail sentence to anyone convicted of using a gun while committing a crime,” Lt. Gov. Patrick said in the ad.

Read the rest of this article from Spectrum News.

Dan Patrick speaks to reporters at a press conference

In campaign ad, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick suggests mandatory 10-year sentence for gun-related crimes

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is making the increase in violent crime a major point of his reelection campaign, most recently proposing to imprison people for at least 10 years if they’re convicted of any crime while using a gun.

Read the rest of this article from the Texas Tribune.

Screengrab of KXAN video with headline "city council reinstates license plate readers"

City council votes to send Austin Police Oversight Act to your ballot

The future of Austin Police transparency is in the hands of Austin voters after city council failed to adopt the Austin Police Oversight Act Thursday night. The item will go in the city’s election in May. After a local nonprofit collected enough signatures to put the Act before Austin City Council, the council was required to vote to either adopt the act or to send it to voters.

Read the rest of this article from KXAN.

Protesters hold signs including one reading "Rikers = death"

1A Remaking America: What's Being Done About The Rise In Jail Deaths?

Millions of people enter jail in the U.S. every year. They've become a revolving door for those with mental health issues or substance-abuse disorders. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that inmates are entitled to life-saving medical care, but that isn't quite guaranteed.

Read the rest of this story from NPR.

Sign at polling place reading Aqui Vote Here

Equal access to the polls includes jail-based voting

In 1974, the U.S. Supreme Court opined that pretrial detainees maintain their right to vote, and in Texas, you do not lose that right if you are convicted of a misdemeanor offense. Nevertheless, localities and the state government have failed to effectively mobilize the necessary resources to create sufficient voting access for incarcerated, eligible voters to cast a ballot during elections.

Read the rest of this article from San Antonio Report.

Mother hugging child with hashmarks, article title

The number of women in U.S. prisons is skyrocketing, but little data exists about their experiences.

Academia has an obligation to highlight the voices and experiences of cis and trans women—especially Black women, Indigenous women, and women of color. But as research around mass incarceration shifts to acknowledge the gendered and racialized realities of incarceration, I've seen my fellow academics continually ignore the ways in which women—especially Black, Indigenous, and women of color—are affected by the carceral system.

Read the rest of this story from Scalawag Magazine.

Screengrab of webinar participants

Juvenile Justice Advocates on Sentencing Reform

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Administrator Liz Ryan discusses sentencing reform during an event hosted by the Sentencing Project.

Watch the full webinar from C-SPAN.