Convicted of stomping a 19-month-old baby to death, Robert Avila faces execution in January. Under a law passed this year, Avila hopes to bring to court new scientific evidence that may show the death could have been a tragic accident.
Texas Department Of Criminal Justice
Posted in
State Government
Exoneree, Still in Prison, Denied Compensation
UPDATED: The Texas Supreme Court issued an opinion Friday denying compensation to Michael Blair, who was exonerated of murder charges in 2008, but is still serving time in prison for child sexual assault convictions.
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
News App: Prisoner Database Updated
The Texas Tribune’s prison inmates database, containing more than 147,000 offenders who have committed roughly 440,000 combined crimes, is now updated with the latest data available from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Will Federal Moves Spur Criminal Justice Change?
Texas has led the way in criminal justice reforms, but advocates say there’s more to do. They’re hoping that federal action to reform sentencing laws will provide momentum for further changes here.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
In Two Cities, Opposite Reactions to Jail Closure
The decision by legislators this year to close two privately run jails operated by the Corrections Corporation of America is being met with very different reactions in the communities where the jails are situated.
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Texas Prison Inmates database
Use this application to explore Texas’ numerous prison units, and learn more about the 147,000 inmates housed inside them.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
On the Records: Prisoner Database Back Online
Today, we relaunch one of our most popular news applications: our database of all Texas state prison inmates, which we had pulled down to address inconsistencies in the state’s record-keeping.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Young Murderers Await Legislature’s Decision
Scottie Forcey is one of 23 convicted Texas murderers who could get the chance to be parole eligible after serving 40 years in prison as legislators work to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Visualization: Executions on Perry’s Watch
Wednesday’s execution of Kimberly McCarthy for the 1997 stabbing death of her neighbor will mark Texas’ 500th execution since 1976 and the 261st during Gov. Rick Perry’s tenure. Use our interactive to view information on each execution under Perry.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
House Debates Sentencing for 17-Year-Old Murderers
The Texas Legislature has moved closer to passing a bill that would solve constitutional problems that have left prosecutors without sentencing options for some juveniles convicted of capital murder.
