TCJC In the News

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

 

https://sanantonioreport.org/san-antonio-mental-health-calls-police/

San Antonio plans to send a cop to all mental health calls, but activist groups want an alternative

September 8, 2021

Local and national activist groups are calling on San Antonio officials to reject a plan to send a police officer, along with a mental health clinician and a paramedic, to respond to 911 calls involving mental health. A new, local police reform organization called Accountability, Compassion and Transparency for San Antonio (ACT 4 SA) and more than a dozen groups want guns and badges taken out of the first-response equation, according to an open letter sent to city leadership on Tuesday.

Read the rest of this article from San Antonio Report.

As fentanyl deaths soar, few Texas police departments tapping grants for life-saving Narcan

As fentanyl deaths soar, few Texas police departments tapping grants for life-saving Narcan

August 27, 2021

It has taken years of grief counseling to help Annie Hernandez openly discuss the loss of her son. Joshua died in 2019 in Austin, after unknowingly taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl. He was 33 and had been in a car accident that led to a painkiller addiction, she said. But his life could have been saved by Narcan, an opioid overdose antidote that can quickly halt the deadly effects of narcotics, Hernandez said.

Read the rest of this article from KXAN.

Texas Criminal Justice Coalition Releases 2021 Bill Analysis Guide

Texas Criminal Justice Coalition Releases 2021 Bill Analysis Guide

August 25, 2021

Today, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJC) released a guide analyzing positive justice legislation that became law during Texas’ 2021 regular session. The majority of bills go into effect on Wednesday, September 1. The guide, which analyzes both youth and adult justice legislation, is organized by issue area.

Read the rest of this press release here.

Texas Criminal Justice Coalition Issues Statement on Bail Bill Rushed Through Senate Committee, Raises Concerns for Public Input During Special Texas Legislative Session

Texas Criminal Justice Coalition Issues Statement on Bail Bill Rushed Through Senate Committee, Raises Concerns for Public Input During Special Texas Legislative Session

August 8, 2021

On the first day of the Texas Legislature’s second special session of 2021, the Senate suspended legislative 24-hour posting rules for the announcement of a public hearing. Just hours after the new special session began, the Senate Jurisprudence committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 6 and Senate Joint Resolution 3, bills that will affect hundreds of thousands of Texans.

Read the rest of this press release here.

As COVID-19 Spreads, a Fight to Shutter Parts of Dallas County Jail

As COVID-19 Spreads, a Fight to Shutter Parts of Dallas County Jail

August 7, 2021

Bette knows the day she started to lose her son. It was eight years ago, when Cole (not his real name) lost his baby girl. Father and daughter had already built a relationship; when Cole talked to his girlfriend’s belly, the baby would kick in reply. “They went to the hospital expecting to take a baby home like we had done with his sister’s son just nine days before,” Bette said by phone in late July. “They get to the hospital, and the baby doesn’t have a heartbeat.”

Read the rest of this article from the Dallas Observer.

The vulnerability of females in the juvenile system, Central Texas and beyondThe vulnerability of females in the juvenile system, Central Texas and beyond

The vulnerability of females in the juvenile system, Central Texas and beyond

August 6, 2021

As the number of juvenile females rises, experts are calling for a closer look at juvenile facilities and their poor resource management in addressing the lack of services this population has. The number of girls in U.S. detention centers has risen by 49 percent, according to a report by the Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice; but systems are ill-equipped to address their needs.

Read the rest of this article from KXXV News.

Texas Juvenile-Justice racial gap improves, but slowly

Texas Juvenile-Justice racial gap improves, but slowly

August 3, 2021

When kids get in trouble with the law, it is far more likely they’ll be incarcerated if they’re Black or brown, and that has created a wide racial-justice gap for America’s youth, including in Texas. A new report from The Sentencing Project shows a promising improvement in many states, but nonetheless found that Black youth are more likely to be in custody than white youth in every state but Hawaii.

Read the rest of this article from Texas News Service.

Austin youth re-entry program has 15% recidivism rate, compared to 75% nationwide

Austin youth re-entry program has 15% recidivism rate, compared to 75% nationwide

July 27, 2021

Raised on the streets, the sound of gunshots is just down the road from one group of teens in northeast Austin. Around the corner, a friend is being held at knifepoint. But one nonprofit in Austin is determined to show these youths another way to live. “I had to choose a better route. I was stuck in my ways, doing what I wanted to do,” said Antonio Martinez, 21.

Read the rest of this story from KXAN.

Austin mayor, council member respond to 'Save Austin Now' policing petition

Austin mayor, council member respond to 'Save Austin Now' policing petition

July 27, 2021

Austin Mayor Steve Adler and City Council Member Greg Casar are responding to Save Austin Now’s #MakeAustinSafe initiative, calling it a “far-right-wing police mandate.” Last week, the political action committee submitted its police-related petition for an ordinance to be on the November 2021 ballot. Adler and Casar said in a press release the ordinance would “slash funds” for city services including EMS, mental health care and parks services.

Read the rest of this article from KVUE.

‘Paid $10 for his death.’ A Cedar Park family’s warning about fentanyl

‘Paid $10 for his death.’ A Cedar Park family’s warning about fentanyl

July 23, 2021

Becky Stewart was looking forward to a Saturday with her son Cameron in mid-March. The two planned to drive down from Williamson County, stroll around Zilker Park in Austin, maybe visit a food truck. Cameron, at 19, was Becky’s youngest son. He was bright, charismatic, entrepreneurial. He had decided to take a pause before college to explore starting a business.

Read the rest of this article from KXAN.

With more than 25K signatures on petition, Austin voters may be able to decide on ‘re-funding police’

With more than 25K signatures on petition, Austin voters may be able to decide on ‘re-funding police’

July 19, 2021

The nonprofit organization behind a petition to increase policing in the city of Austin says it’s received more than 25,600 signatures — making the proposed changes eligible for the November 2021 election. The local political action committee Save Austin Now began the petition in May and now says it’s completed the drive it hopes will make several changes to “#MakeAustinSafe.”

Read the rest of this story from KXAN.

Overhaul of state bail system on the rocks after Democrats break quorum

Overhaul of state bail system on the rocks after Democrats break quorum

July 14, 2021

A proposal for overhauling the Texas bail system gained steam at the legislature over the weekend before stalling dead in its tracks Monday when Democrats left the state to deny GOP lawmakers a quorum. The quorum break targeted an unrelated election bill similar to Senate Bill 7, which Democrats killed using the same quorum-busting tactic in May. 

Read the rest of this article from The Austin Bulldog.

Push continues in Texas to “Raise the Age” for Juvenile Offenders

Push continues in Texas to “Raise the Age” for Juvenile Offenders

July 9, 2021

Texas is one of only three states to automatically treat 17-year-olds as adults when they are arrested, and the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition said that can often lead to a lifetime of involvement with the justice system. Since 2007, advocates to “Raise the Age” have encouraged state policymakers to change laws, so teens can go through the juvenile justice system instead.

Read the rest of this article from El Paso Herald-Post.

Ballot initiative to decriminalize weed, ban ‘no knock’ warrants kicks off in Austin

Ballot initiative to decriminalize weed, ban ‘no knock’ warrants kicks off in Austin

June 30, 2021

Ground Game Texas, a new voter mobilization group, announced Wednesday they would be launching a new campaign to create a ballot initiative in Austin to decriminalize marijuana and end “no-knock” warrants. The “Austin Freedom Act of 2021” would decriminalize low-level marijuana offenses and prevent police in Austin from entering someone’s residence without first notifying them. 

Read the rest of this article from the Texas Signal.

When Prisons Locked Down, Prisoners Were Denied Release

When Prisons Locked Down, Prisoners Were Denied Release

June 29, 2021

When Lorenzo Culbero appeared before the New York parole board in December, nearly 15 years after he was incarcerated and four months before his potential release date, the board deferred its decision for 18 months. Culbero said the board cited his failure to complete a substance use program as one of the reasons for its decision.

Read the rest of this article from The Appeal.

Girls Embracing Mothers offers a chance for formerly incarcerated moms to rebuild relationships with their daughters

Girls Embracing Mothers offers a chance for formerly incarcerated moms to rebuild relationships with their daughters

June 22, 2021

“No running!” says Diana Lopez, a volunteer at a summer camp organized by the nonprofit Girls Embracing Mothers. You can’t blame the young campers as they make a break for their cabins: The summer heat is finally kicking in, and swimming is the next activity on deck. They’ve already enjoyed archery and spoken-word poetry at the STEM Center of Excellence at Camp Whispering Cedars in southern Dallas.

Read the rest of this article from Dallas Morning News.

Commissioners Court Puts Women’s Jail on Ice

Commissioners Court Puts Women’s Jail on Ice

June 18, 2021

On Tuesday, June 15, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted to delay moving forward with the design of a new women's jail for at least a year. The decision came after more than three hours of testimony from more than 100 callers, including formerly incarcerated women and leaders from Austin Justice Coalition, the Lilith Fund, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Texas Fair Defense Project, Grassroots Leadership, and other activist organizations.

Read the rest of this article from the Austin Chronicle.

TDCJ: Moving prisoners out of Briscoe Unit to make room for undocumented migrants

TDCJ: Moving prisoners out of Briscoe Unit to make room for undocumented migrants

June 17, 2021

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice confirmed Thursday the agency has been directed by Gov. Greg Abbott to move prisoners from the Briscoe Unit in Dilley to make room for migrants with low-level offenses. “Beginning on June 16, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) began moving inmates from the Dolph Briscoe Unit in Dilley, Texas, to other facilities with available capacity throughout the state. This action will allow the unit to serve as a central holding facility for non-TDCJ detainees who have been arrested and charged with a state offense,” a TDCJ spokesperson said in a statement.

Read...

Dozens of Texans Died of COVID-19 in Prison Despite Being Granted Parole, Report Finds

Dozens of Texans Died of COVID-19 in Prison Despite Being Granted Parole, Report Finds

June 17, 2021

A new report shows that dozens of Texans have died in prison from COVID-19 despite already being granted parole. Within a year of the coronavirus pandemic, 18 people who had been approved for parole died with the virus before while still in prison, according to a report released Thursday from the University of Texas at Austin's Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.

Read the rest of this article from Newsweek.

Governor Abbott authorizes $250 million down payment for Texas border wall

Governor Abbott authorizes $250 million down payment for Texas border wall

June 16, 2021

Governor Greg Abbott made several new announcements on Texas’ efforts to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico; including a $250 million down payment, and a letter to President Biden demanding land obtained by the Trump administration for a wall be given to the State.

Read the rest of this article from KCBD.

Pages