INSIDER
Handshakes, murals and ministry: A reopened Texas prison focuses on rehabilitation
Read full article: Handshakes, murals and ministry: A reopened Texas prison focuses on rehabilitationThe Bartlett Unit in Williamson County will house 1,049 male inmates who will participate in educational programs aimed to help them secure a job after theyāve served their time.
Inside the only college class in Texas to help prepare inmates for life after prison
Read full article: Inside the only college class in Texas to help prepare inmates for life after prisonMore than 250 Texas prisoners are on the waitlist to join the Lee College reentry class. Programs like these prepare students to find jobs and help lower recidivism.
Texas can schedule Robert Robersonās execution ā but lawmakers still expect his testimony first
Read full article: Texas can schedule Robert Robersonās execution ā but lawmakers still expect his testimony firstRoberson was convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter in a āshaken babyā case that many say led to an innocent manās death sentence.
Texas prisons and jails are recruiting more teenagers to shore up guard shortage
Read full article: Texas prisons and jails are recruiting more teenagers to shore up guard shortageTwo counties house training programs in local high schools as officials pitch corrections jobs as gateways to criminal justice careers.
Texasā prison guard shortfall makes it harder for inmates to get reprieve from extreme indoor heat, critics say
Read full article: Texasā prison guard shortfall makes it harder for inmates to get reprieve from extreme indoor heat, critics sayAbout 25% of Texasā correctional officer positions are unfilled. Inmates say the shortages make it harder for them to get respite during hot summer months.
Huntsville inmate who escaped prison was arrested hours later in Calallen, state prison officials say
Read full article: Huntsville inmate who escaped prison was arrested hours later in Calallen, state prison officials sayA Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmate who escaped from its Huntsville unit Sunday is now back in law enforcement custody.
Feds accuse Texas prison agency of discriminating against employee for wearing a headscarf
Read full article: Feds accuse Texas prison agency of discriminating against employee for wearing a headscarfA federal lawsuit asserts that the Texas agency terminated a state prison clerk who refused to remove a head covering in line with her Ifa faith.
Texas inmates are being ācooked to deathā in extreme heat, complaint alleges
Read full article: Texas inmates are being ācooked to deathā in extreme heat, complaint allegesWith the threat of another hot summer ahead, advocates asked a federal judge to declare 100-degree-plus conditions in uncooled Texas facilities unconstitutional.
Texasā top criminal court halts William Speerās execution hours before he was scheduled to die
Read full article: Texasā top criminal court halts William Speerās execution hours before he was scheduled to dieSpeer has been on death row for decades after strangling another inmate at a Texas prison. The victimās sister and faith leaders have both called on the parole board to halt the execution.
Texas inmate killed by cellmate during a statewide prison lockdown
Read full article: Texas inmate killed by cellmate during a statewide prison lockdownThe killing of inmate Billy Chemirmir in the Coffield Unit occurred during a statewide lockdown of prisons, promoted by a rise in inmate homicides. A day before the lockdown, another incident at the same prison resulted in the firings of seven correctional officers and the resignations of another six.
Texas prison system issues statewide lockdown to combat illegal drugs, inmate violence
Read full article: Texas prison system issues statewide lockdown to combat illegal drugs, inmate violenceThe state has canceled all visits to Texas prison inmates until a comprehensive search of all 100 correctional facilities for contraband has been completed.
As the death toll in stifling Texas prisons climbs, congressional Democrats ask for investigation
Read full article: As the death toll in stifling Texas prisons climbs, congressional Democrats ask for investigationMost Texas prisons lack air conditioning. At least 41 prisoners have died of heart-related or undetermined causes since the unrelenting heat wave began.
A prison guard says she was forced to stay at her post during labor pains. Texas is fighting compensation for her stillbirth.
Read full article: A prison guard says she was forced to stay at her post during labor pains. Texas is fighting compensation for her stillbirth.The seven-months-pregnant officer reported contraction-like pains at work, but said she wasnāt allowed to leave for hours. The anti-abortion state is fighting her lawsuit, in part by saying her fetus didnāt clearly have rights.
Facing sex discrimination claims, Texas begins jailing migrant women under border crackdown
Read full article: Facing sex discrimination claims, Texas begins jailing migrant women under border crackdownOperation Lone Star originally targeted single men suspected of crossing the border illegally in mass trespassing arrests, but some claimed that not arresting women violated equal protection laws.
Prisonersā relatives and former inmates plead for help as deaths mount in sweltering Texas prisons
Read full article: Prisonersā relatives and former inmates plead for help as deaths mount in sweltering Texas prisonsSeveral lawmakers supported a call for Gov. Greg Abbott to bring lawmakers back immediately to approve air conditioning for prisons, which the Legislature declined to do during its regular session.
Investigation finds no fraud by Texas prison contractor that was paid despite cutting inmate therapy services
Read full article: Investigation finds no fraud by Texas prison contractor that was paid despite cutting inmate therapy servicesManagement & Training Corporation had been accused of defrauding the state by charging for services it didnāt provide and directing prisoners to falsify paperwork about their treatment.
Inmates are dying in stifling Texas prisons, but the state seldom acknowledges heat as a cause of death
Read full article: Inmates are dying in stifling Texas prisons, but the state seldom acknowledges heat as a cause of deathSince a heat wave gripped Texas, at least nine inmates, including two men in their 30s, have died of heart attacks or unknown causes in prisons lacking air conditioning. Itās been 11 years since the state last classified a death as heat-related.
Facing youth prison crisis, Texas lawmakers opt to build new facilities and funnel more kids to adult system
Read full article: Facing youth prison crisis, Texas lawmakers opt to build new facilities and funnel more kids to adult systemFor more than a decade, Texas has been trying to slim down its youth prison system, which has been plagued by years of abuse scandals. This Legislature is reversing that course.
Despite budget surplus, Texas Legislature makes little money available for prison air conditioning
Read full article: Despite budget surplus, Texas Legislature makes little money available for prison air conditioningStifling heat has killed inmates and exacerbated employee turnover in Texas prisons. But funding for air conditioning was whittled down in the draft budget released Thursday.
Texas imprisoned Joshua Keith Beasley Jr. when he was 11, purportedly for his own good. Five years later, he returned home in a casket.
Read full article: Texas imprisoned Joshua Keith Beasley Jr. when he was 11, purportedly for his own good. Five years later, he returned home in a casket.āThey didnāt try to fix the brokenness,ā his mother says. āThey just broke him more.ā
āA way to throw kids awayā: Texasā troubled juvenile justice department is sending more children to adult prisons
Read full article: āA way to throw kids awayā: Texasā troubled juvenile justice department is sending more children to adult prisonsMoving the most violent and troubled youths to adult prison makes it easier to help others in juvenile facilities, some prosecutors and lawmakers say. Youth justice advocates say Texas is giving up on the children who most need help.
Seven Texas prison employees face dismissal over 16-year-old inmateās suicide
Read full article: Seven Texas prison employees face dismissal over 16-year-old inmateās suicideJoshua Keith Beasley Jr. had been transferred from a Texas youth facility to an adult prison despite a long history of suicidal behavior. Five guards and two supervisors allegedly failed to check on him.
Texas House budgets $545 million for prison air conditioning. The Senate hasnāt offered anything.
Read full article: Texas House budgets $545 million for prison air conditioning. The Senate hasnāt offered anything.Sweltering heat has killed inmates, driven away prison workers and cost taxpayers millions in lawsuits. The House budget would provide air conditioning for 46 prisons, but itās unclear if the Senate will sign on.
Aging state vehicle fleet fuels tens of millions in new money requests by agencies
Read full article: Aging state vehicle fleet fuels tens of millions in new money requests by agenciesMany state-owned vehicles are aging past the standards for replacement. Early budget drafts signal that lawmakers are considering funding some $237.6 million in requests for new ones.
Texas death row inmate Andre Thomasā attorneys apply for clemency, citing mental illness
Read full article: Texas death row inmate Andre Thomasā attorneys apply for clemency, citing mental illnessAt issue is whether Thomas, who gouged out his eyes after confessing the 2004 murders of his estranged wife, their son and her daughter, is competent to be executed in April.
Texas executes Wesley Ruiz despite ongoing fight over stateās use of old lethal injection drugs
Read full article: Texas executes Wesley Ruiz despite ongoing fight over stateās use of old lethal injection drugsRuiz was convicted in the 2007 shooting death of Dallas police Senior Cpl. Mark Nix after a high-speed chase.
āWe are humans back hereā: As Texas hunger strike wanes, prisoners speak out against solitary confinement
Read full article: āWe are humans back hereā: As Texas hunger strike wanes, prisoners speak out against solitary confinementAfter 21 days, the last of many Texas prisoners to consistently refuse food ended his hunger strike. In letters to The Texas Tribune, two prisoners spoke out on the dire solitary confinement conditions that led them to starve themselves.
Texas death row prisoners spend decades in solitary confinement. A lawsuit wants to end that ācruelā treatment.
Read full article: Texas death row prisoners spend decades in solitary confinement. A lawsuit wants to end that ācruelā treatment.Men sentenced to death in Texas are held in isolation until their execution dates, with little human contact, medical care or legal help, according to a lawsuit filed to improve treatment of the condemned.
After 10 days, dozens of Texas prisoners remain on hunger strike protesting solitary confinement practices
Read full article: After 10 days, dozens of Texas prisoners remain on hunger strike protesting solitary confinement practicesAlthough the number of men refusing food has steadily declined, 38 are still starving themselves to protest Texas policies that often keep prisoners in isolation for years or even decades.
More than 70 Texas prisoners are 3 days into a hunger strike protesting harsh solitary confinement practices
Read full article: More than 70 Texas prisoners are 3 days into a hunger strike protesting harsh solitary confinement practicesPrisoners have refused food to protest practices that have kept more than 500 people in isolation for more than a decade.
Texas prisoners launching hunger strike to protest stateās harsh solitary confinement practices
Read full article: Texas prisoners launching hunger strike to protest stateās harsh solitary confinement practicesHundreds of prisoners may participate in the protest beginning Tuesday, the first day of the stateās legislative session. Texas often keeps prisoners in solitary confinement for years or decades.
State agencies push for better worker pay as critical staffing crunch hits Texas government
Read full article: State agencies push for better worker pay as critical staffing crunch hits Texas governmentTexas agencies say they are being hammered by a historic staffing crisis, particularly when it comes to those in the trenches serving the stateās most vulnerable populations.
āItās a living hellā: Scorching heat in Texas prisons revives air-conditioning debate
Read full article: āItās a living hellā: Scorching heat in Texas prisons revives air-conditioning debateTexas heat has killed prisoners and cost the state millions in wrongful death and civil rights lawsuits. Prison rights advocates hope a budget surplus next year will finally push lawmakers to invest in air conditioning.
Texas suspends most transportation of inmates while it reviews convicted murdererās escape
Read full article: Texas suspends most transportation of inmates while it reviews convicted murdererās escapeThe review comes after Gonzalo Lopez escaped from a prison bus last month. Authorities say he killed a family of five before they found and killed him.
Authorities fatally shoot convicted murderer who killed family of five while on the lam
Read full article: Authorities fatally shoot convicted murderer who killed family of five while on the lamAuthorities say Gonzalo Lopez killed a man and his four grandchildren in Leon County. He escaped from a prison bus nearly three weeks ago.
Four days after audacious escape from prison bus, Texas still hasnāt found convicted murderer
Read full article: Four days after audacious escape from prison bus, Texas still hasnāt found convicted murdererOfficials are still trying to piece together how Gonzalo Lopez managed to cut through a metal door and hijack a prison bus Thursday. An extensive manhunt continues in Leon County.
Spared execution once, Texas prisoner Kenneth Foster could face death penalty again after cellmate's death
Read full article: Spared execution once, Texas prisoner Kenneth Foster could face death penalty again after cellmate's deathFoster had been the getaway driver, not the triggerman, in a killing that first put him on death row. Former Gov. Rick Perry commuted his death sentence to life in prison in 2007.
U.S. Supreme Court justices appear reluctant to loosen restrictions on religious advisers during Texas executions
Read full article: U.S. Supreme Court justices appear reluctant to loosen restrictions on religious advisers during Texas executionsThe latest Texas execution protocols forbid spiritual advisers from praying aloud or touching prisoners as the prisoners are killed. Some members of the high court said they feared overturning the rules would lead to a flood of requests for other religious accommodations during executions.
For third time in recent years, U.S. Supreme Court halts a Texas execution over rules for religious advisers in the death chamber
Read full article: For third time in recent years, U.S. Supreme Court halts a Texas execution over rules for religious advisers in the death chamberJohn Ramirez was scheduled to die Wednesday. His last request to the state had been to let his pastor hold on to him as he died, something the state denied. The high court wants to hear oral arguments on the matter later this year.
Converted Texas prison gets first immigrant detainees as Gov. Greg Abbottās border security effort ramps up
Read full article: Converted Texas prison gets first immigrant detainees as Gov. Greg Abbottās border security effort ramps upBorder-crossing immigrants are being arrested by Texas troopers on state charges like trespassing, and theyāre starting to trickle into a prison emptied to house them.
Almost 150 guards are staffing an empty Texas prison as state officials work on Gov. Greg Abbottās plan to use it for immigrants
Read full article: Almost 150 guards are staffing an empty Texas prison as state officials work on Gov. Greg Abbottās plan to use it for immigrantsWhile many Texas prisons are understaffed, some dangerously so, the emptied-out Briscoe Unit in Dilley is in "maintenance mode" as officials scramble to implement the governor's plan to increase the state's role in border enforcement.
Dozens who died in Texas prisons during the pandemic had been granted parole, new report shows
Read full article: Dozens who died in Texas prisons during the pandemic had been granted parole, new report showsAt any given time, thousands of Texas prisoners have been approved for parole but not yet released. At least 42 of those people died in the 12 months after the coronavirus first swept the state.
For the first time in more than 40 years, media was not allowed to witness a Texas execution
Read full article: For the first time in more than 40 years, media was not allowed to witness a Texas executionOn Wednesday, the state executed Quintin Jones, 41, for the Tarrant County murder of his great-aunt in 1999.
After sweltering temperatures killed Texas prisoners, lawmakers vote to install air conditioning
Read full article: After sweltering temperatures killed Texas prisoners, lawmakers vote to install air conditioningThe bill initially approved by the House aims to cool all of Texasā prisons before 2029. But even if it is signed into law, the lockups will only be air conditioned if lawmakers provide specific funds for installation.