Austin City Council Takes a Step Toward Police Reform, Rejects Union Contract
Activists said the contract would perpetuate a broken system of citizen oversight and shield cops who engage in misconduct.
TCJC In the News
Press Contact: For all media inquiries, please contact Madison Kaigh, Communications Manager, at mkaigh@TexasCJC.org or (512) 441-8123, ext. 108.
State youth lockups under fire
Outraged by reports of abuses in Texas’ secure facilities for young offenders, lawmakers in a Senate finance committee called for top-to-bottom reform, and they’re not the only ones.
Juvenile justice agency still plagued by high recidivism, turnover
Amid calls by children's advocacy groups for the state to close its six remaining juvenile lockups, and ongoing investigations into a chronic pattern of sexual assaults at those centers, a legislative committee on Tuesday is expected to open an inquiry into how to divert more teenage offenders into community-based programs rather than state custody.
More women are jailed in Texas, even though arrests have dropped. Why?
Back when the county jail here housed maybe three women, jailers didn’t have to worry much about contraband mascara, tampon shortages or raunchy love notes in the intra-inmate mail.
Texas juvenile justice advocates call for closing of all state-run youth lockups
Four Texas civil rights and youth-justice reform groups called Thursday for the state to close all of its remaining juvenile-justice lockups and replacing them with community-based treatment and rehabilitation centers.
Texas reform advocates want to close all state-run youth lockups
Juvenile justice reform advocates want all the state's youth lockups closed after the department's latest sexual misconduct scandal.
Juvenile Justice Coalition Calls for Sweeping Reforms To Texas Juvenile Justice System
A group of juvenile justice reform advocates sent a letter today to Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus calling for moving youth in state juvenile facilities to local juvenile probation, community programs, and small rehabilitative facilities closer to youth’s families, and urged legislators to develop a plan to close down all state secure juvenile facilities.
Gainesville State School crisis requires Texas consider shuttering remaining youth lockups
Texas lawmakers have a difficult decision to make. Should the state shutter its five remaining youth lockups and admit we're just not capable of finding the money, the staff or even the fundamental competence to keep juvenile offenders safe in large facilities?
Summit Meeting at State Capitol on Juvenile Crime
What is the best way to deal with juvenile crime? A summit meeting at the state capitol is trying to come up with that answer.
Houston case highlights how juveniles fare in criminal justice system
Desmond Hawkins, who turned 18 on Nov. 8, is accused of shooting and killing Reginald Sherman on Oct. 11, 2016, in what police have said was a robbery attempt.
Report: Texas Juvenile Lockup Struggles With Staffing
Juvenile justice advocates say operational and behavioral problems at Texas lockups for youth have persisted under the state's control for more than a decade.
Opposition Rising to Laws Allowing Juveniles to be Imprisoned as Adults
Another one of the 'get tough on crime' measures dating from the blood soaked 1990s is being questioned in Texas, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Fights, sex, drugs: Texas juvenile lockup on the verge of crisis, reports show
Youths at the Gainesville State School say staff paid them with drugs and cash to assault one another.
Pre-trial justice group gives Texas a D rating
The Lone Star state notched up some bad marks in a newly released analysis of pretrial justice across the country.
Should Texas Change the Law to Keep 17-Year-Olds Out of Adult Prison?
Do 17-year-old offenders belong in adult prison? Would there be benefits to raising the age of responsibility to 18 instead?
Read the rest of this blog post at the Goolsby Law Firm's blog.
Should Texas change law to keep 17-year-olds out of adult jails?
The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition wants lawmakers to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 17 to 18 in the 2019 legislative session.
Austin Says New Contract With Police Will Bring Accountability
Interim Police Monitor Deven Desai opened negotiations between the city and police last week with a nod to a crowd of activists gathered in one corner of the room. “I’ve sat in these negotiations since '08 and I can’t remember a time we had even one person from the community come in and actually observe the negotiations," he said.
Read the rest of this article at KUT.
Texas Advocates and Legislators Show Support for Juvenile Justice
A group of juvenile justice reform advocates hosted a press conference at the Texas Capitol today as part of Youth Justice Action Month calling for a new commitment to juvenile justice reform in Texas.
Social justice groups take a knee at Austin City Council meeting
Members of the Austin Justice Coalition and Grassroots Leadership took a knee as Austin City Council members listened to the invocation before the meeting.
More pre-trial diversion, smarter technology part of Harris County DA's plans
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg on Tuesday promised more pre-trial diversion programs for suspects in drug possession cases and those with mental health issues.