You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney.
Have you ever attempted suicide? Are you thinking of killing or injuring yourself today?
In the aftermath of Sandra Bland's death in the Waller County jail, Texas is now discussing suicide prevention in local jails.
Criminal Justice Committee Chair Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, has sent a strong signal now that he wants to review state drug sentencing guidelines during the 85th session of the Texas Legislature.
Until recently, progressives have largely embraced the involvement of the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch in the push for criminal justice reform, including changes in mandatory minimum sentencing laws.
Over the past five years, Hispanic motorists stopped by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers were 33 percent more likely to be searched than white drivers. Yet those inspections were less likely to result in the discovery of drugs, weapons or illegal currency than the searches performed on white drivers.
In an unincorporated section of Fort Bend County, just north of Sugar Land, minors now face a curfew - a tool that some criminal justice reform advocates say harms youth rather than helps address underlying problems.
Jacqueline Aguilar’s 26-year-old brother, Jose Aguilar, had spent nearly nine months in solitary confinement at the Ferguson Unit when he hanged himself in February 2014.
The Fort Bend County sheriff is pushing back against criticism of his agency following two reported jail suicides this fall, including a state report citing the jail for violating minimum standards.
Seven years ago, Terry Brudos pulled his truck into the probation parking lot in Georgetown. He finished up a final toke of methamphetamines, put down the pipe and walked in to meet with his probation officer.
Read the rest of this article at the Midland Reporter-Telegram.
The Austin City Council’s Economic Opportunity Committee took bold action on Monday to pass a comprehensive Fair Chance Hiring ordinance to the full council for vote.
Effective November 16, 2015, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition announces Shakira Pumphrey as its new Policy Director. In this role, Ms. Pumphrey has strategic and operational responsibility for generating and coordinating TCJC’s research and policy work.
More than two years after the heat of anger over Trayvon Martin's shooting in Florida fused into Black Lives Matter, an Austin chapter is trying to mold its energy into an agenda to influence state lawmakers.
Taken on the surface, risk and needs assessments inherently undermine the principles of PYD. But, when used intentionally and carefully, using risk and needs assessments within a PYD framework could ensure better outcomes for youth and communities.
Read the rest of this article at the JuvenileJustice Information Exchange.
AUSTIN — Prisons across the country will release 6,000 inmates early and nearly 600 of them, are headed to Texas.
In a victory for prison reform groups, in-person visitations are coming back after more than two years behind screens.
A new report from the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition suggests there are economic and social benefits to expanding Harris County’s drug diversion programs.
You might expect a foreign visitor eager to learn about the penal system in the Lone Star State to head for the Texas Prison Museum near Houston, to check out the star exhibit.
The Coalition for Public Safety and Right on Crime took the Fair Sentencing and Fair Chances National Tour to Texas yesterday, hosting a public event at the Texas Public Policy Foundation in Austin.
Read the rest of this article at The Coalition for Public Safety.
Most people, when filling out a job application, accentuate the positive. But for the nearly 12 million Texans with criminal records, there's one question that's not so easily spun: Have you been convicted of a crime?