Twenty percent of the nation’s 17,000 human trafficking victims each year come through Texas, and Attorney General Greg Abbott said today the state should take the lead in collaboration among agencies to fight the scourge of modern-day slavery.
Criminal Justice
Get the latest Texas Tribune coverage on criminal justice, including crime, courts, law enforcement, and reforms shaping the stateโs justice system.
TribBlog: Special Master Recommends Reprimand for Keller
Sharon Keller, the presiding judge of the state’s highest criminal court, will not be removed from the bench following a trial and review by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
What Does Debra Want?
Now that she’ll join Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison on stage at the second GOP debate โ now that she’s cracked spoiler-worthy double digits in the latest poll and will fundraise, Ron Paul-style, through an online “money bomb” โ it’s fair to ask what longshot gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina is in it for.
Abuse of Power
State employees who commit heinous acts against Texas’ most profoundly disabled citizens rarely get charged with crimes, let alone go to jail. A Texas Tribune review of a decadeโs worth of abuse and neglect firings at state institutions found that just 16 percent of the most violent or negligent employees were ever charged with crimes.
Mapping the Money Race
To better understand the geography of the money race, we mapped the candidates’ contributions by city, using graduated symbols to highlight their most lucrative areas. The bubbles in the maps get larger based on the percentage of a candidates’ total take.
Openly Hostile
Kay Bailey Hutchison says Texas government should be more transparent. Rick Perry says it already is. Let the sniping begin.
Guest Column: The 2010 Agenda: Criminal Justice
In response to shrinking budgets, there’s a risk that lawmakers might feel compelled to scale back funding for treatment and diversion programming. Instead, it’s time for the state to seriously consider closing one or more of the 112 prison units it currently operates.
Data App: Governor’s Race Cash
Search more than $35 million in campaign donations and loans collected by the top candidates in the governor’s race. You can also explore how they spent the money.
TribBlog: Hi(gh) Again
A recent juvenile justice report finds drug-addicted TYC inmates who didn’t participate in the agency’s drug treatment program were less likely to reoffend than those who did.


