Lawmakers on Tuesday will examine ways to reduce recidivism among prisoners with mental illness and substance addiction.
Texas Department Of Criminal Justice
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Use of Force Against Inmates on the Rise
The population in Texas prisons dropped from 2005 to 2013, but statistics from the corrections agency show that officers are using “major” force against inmates more often.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Perry: Federal Anti-Prison Rape Standards “Impossible” to Achieve
Gov. Rick Perry told federal officials he would not sign a form complying with regulations meant to prevent prison rape and assault. Prison reform advocates worry the decision could have financial and legal consequences.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Solitary Confinement Study Approved, but Funding Remains Elusive
Lawmakers passed a bill that requires a study of solitary confinement in Texas prisons, but the panel charged with hiring a third party to conduct the research does not have money to fund the study.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
If the Sun Salutation Has to Fit Into a Prison Cell
An Austin lawyer turned yogi hopes to make yoga commonplace behind bars in Texas. But financial and administrative challenges lie ahead.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Dignity in Burials for Prisoners and Families
Prisoner rights advocates often criticize the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, but experts agree that offender burials are one thing the state prison system does well, especially compared with other states.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TDCJ Refuses to Return Execution Drugs to Pharmacist
Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials said Monday that they will not heed a request to return a supply of execution drugs from the pharmacist who sent them to the state.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Liveblog: Criminal Justice at The Texas Tribune Festival
We’re liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival’s Criminal Justice track, which includes panels on guilt and innocence, juvenile justice, guns, and a one-on-one conversation with Attorney General Greg Abbott.
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Interactive: Psychiatric Prisons See More Violence
Data from the Texas criminal justice system shows that psychiatric prison units experience the most violence per capita. Use this interactive to examine the violent incidents reported at more than 90 Texas prisons between 2006 and 2012.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Violence Behind Bars and a Tie to Mental Illness
A Tribune analysis of violent-incident data in state prisons shows that far more violent incidents occur at facilities with large populations of mentally ill inmates.
