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Jolie McCullough reports on criminal justice issues and policy for The Texas Tribune. She came to the Tribune in early 2015 from the Albuquerque Journal, where she worked for four years on breaking news and data-driven projects. She is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication; while there, she interned as a reporter and online producer at the Arizona Republic and served as the web editor of the student-run newspaper, the State Press.
The death of the 72-year-old man came one day after a 49-year-old correctional officer who worked at a different prison died. The state is locking down 15 prisons where inmates or guards have tested positive for the disease. Full Story
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Misdemeanor judges and criminal defense organizations argue the governor's order unconstitutionally oversteps his authority over judges and creates a wealth-based detention system. It's the second court challenge to the order. Full Story
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Plaintiffs in an ongoing Harris County lawsuit over felony bail practices are asking a federal judge to temporarily block Abbott's order. Full Story
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The judges are under a federal court order to release low-level defendants without collecting bail payment after the county's cash bail practices were found unconstitutional. The governor's Sunday order does not allow those accused of low-level crimes to leave jail without access to cash if they have a past violent conviction. Full Story
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The Texas Department of Criminal Justice's measures to combat the new coronavirus are insufficient at a geriatric prison, the complaint said. Full Story
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Abbott's order bans release without paying bail for inmates who are accused of or have been convicted in the past of violent offenses. Defendants with cash could still walk free. Full Story
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The Texas prison system and Dallas County both reported the first Texas cases of inmates testing positive for the new coronavirus this week. Self-quarantines and social distancing aren't always possible for those who've been exposed. Full Story
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The 37-year-old man has been isolated and is being treated at the prison system's Galveston hospital, where he's been for three days. Full Story
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Law enforcement agencies are focusing instead on education or issuing warnings. Full Story
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Courts have slowed across the state, and jury trials are on hold. Defense attorneys worry the outbreak could leave their clients sitting in jail waiting for justice — and vulnerable to catching the virus. Full Story
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Tracy Beatty requested the court stay his execution, set for next week, after the court halted this week's execution. Full Story
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John Hummel’s lawyer requested a stay of execution in a unique court filing Friday, but Tarrant County officials opposed it. Full Story
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The Texas Department of Criminal Justice said no visitation would be allowed until further instruction Friday. Some county jails, like Harris and Dallas, have also halted visits. Full Story
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Rigoberto Avila Jr. was sentenced to death in 2001 in the death of his girlfriend's 19-month-old son. In 2018, an El Paso judge recommended he get a new trial because of outdated science used at his trial. Full Story
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The San Antonio base has held hundreds of coronavirus evacuees. With about 100 more arriving Tuesday night and up to 120 more expected Wednesday, here's what the quarantine site is like for those inside and outside the fence line. Full Story
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The Texas Democratic Party released delegate counts Wednesday evening based on unofficial election results. Texas doles out 228 delegates in the state's Democratic primary election. Full Story
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The Brownsville Democrat has served in the Senate for nearly three decades. With all polling locations reporting Wednesday morning, he was just shy of the 50% vote mark needed to win outright. Full Story
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A former correctional officer was charged with aggravated assault by a public servant Thursday in Walker County, a week after another man was cleared of criminal charges in another inmate homicide. Full Story
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The Texas Department of Public Safety said last week that it would not perform testing to distinguish between hemp and marijuana in misdemeanor cases. Full Story
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In this video, The Texas Tribune dug into hemp and marijuana with lawmakers, crime lab scientists, criminal defense attorneys and hemp entrepreneurs. Full Story
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