Press Contact: For all media inquiries, please contact Madison Kaigh, Communications Manager, at mkaigh@TexasCJE.orgor (512) 441-8123, ext. 108.
Abilene Expunction Clinic to Provide Legal Assistance for Texans Seeking to Clear Criminal Records
On April 29, members of the Clean Slate Texas coalition will host an expunction clinic to help community members clear eligible Texas criminal records through expunction and/or nondisclosure.
Criminal Justice Candidate Forum for Travis County Commissioners Court
This week, local justice advocacy groups will host a virtual candidate forum for the Travis County Commissioners Court election. Participating will be candidates for Precinct 2 Commissioner Bob Libal and Brigid Shea (incumbent), and candidates for Precinct 4 Commissioner Margaret Gómez (incumbent) and Susanna Ledesma-Woody.
Plastic Surgery Has a Troubled History Inside Prisons. Some Advocates Want It to Make a Comeback.
Starting in 2017, Thai media published a seriesofarticles on the country’s growing class of “new poor people,” former incarcerees who were finding it almost impossible to get hired and often returning to prison as a result.
Clear Your Criminal History at Abilene's Expunction Clinic in April
Abilene attorneys Blizzard and Zimmerman are co-sponsoring the first "Reentry Coalition Expunction Clinic in Abilene." This event is Friday, April 29, 2022, from 9 am until 4 pm. There will be two sessions that day one is in the morning and the second in the afternoon.
Kids of color are disproportionately punished in the Harris County juvenile justice system, a study shows
The Harris County juvenile justice system disproportionately punishes a small group of Black and brown kids more harshly than others, according to a study from Rice University Texas Policy Lab. Of the 42,000 kids who came into contact with the Harris County juvenile justice system between 2010 and 2019, most had only one interaction, according to the study.
Press Advisory: Houston Event Will Highlight System-Impacted Leaders, Build Community for Formerly Incarcerated Locals
On January 29, a group of formerly incarcerated and justice system-impacted Texans will convene in Houston. The event, “From Prison to Power: Finding Your Voice After Incarceration,” is organized by the Texas Center for Justice and Equity’s Statewide Leadership Council (SLC) and partners.
These middle-aged Texans committed crimes as young teenagers. Should they get a second chance?
For years, Demetrius Johnson, now 54, spent his days imagining what his life could have been if he had made different decisions at the age of 16. He describes it as if it actually happened to an alternate version of himself: A Demetrius Johnson who got a job at 18 and took care of his family. Who bought a two-bedroom house next door to his aunt, where he lived with his mother, his son and his son’s mother. Whose aunt helped turn the garage into an extra bedroom.
Illinois women’s prison offers a new chance at a degree
Prison education programs across the country have long overlooked incarcerated women, offering fewer courses and degree options. Northwestern University is hoping to change that. Last spring, the university expanded its three-year-old prison education program to include incarcerated women.
State of Texas: Leaders consider ‘consequences’ of not tracking state hospital waitlist data
In Texas, people charged with crimes and found mentally incompetent to stand trial most often obtain restoration treatment at a state hospital before returning to jail and being able to actively participate in their defense. In recent years, there have been efforts to increase other competency restoration alternatives – like jail-based or outpatient methods – but for some people, those options are not always available.
Grumet: Pandemic brings plot twist to Women's Storybook Project of Texas
Over the past five years, more than 6,600 women in Texas prisons have made audio recordings of “The Invisible String,” a children’s book about the unseen bonds that connect us to those we cherish, no matter the distance. Each inmate’s recording and a copy of the brightly illustrated book were sent to her children, who often live hundreds of miles away with Grandma or another guardian.