CNHI: Stealing more costs less under change to property laws
AUSTIN - Stealing is still a crime in Texas, but as of Sept. 1, you may be able to steal more and pay less if you’re caught.
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.
Relaxed Food Stamp Rules Meant to Help Felons
Starting Sept. 1, a new Texas law will allow people with felony drug convictions to qualify for food assistance, ending the lifetime ban they currently face. Supporters hope the change will reduce recidivism as it helps felons get back on their feet.
New CEOs for EARN, Moyer Foundation, and AIDS Charity
Leigh Phillips will take over as chief executive officer of this organization, which helps low-income people build savings accounts.
Read the rest of this article at The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
2016 Texas congressional race is already called a tossup
It’s not just the presidential race that’s in play next year. The stakes are also high in the House and Senate, especially for Democrats, who are hoping to retake the Senate after losing it in 2014 and are also eyeing the House, though the odds are longer there.
Texas set to welcome grand jury reform
Grand juries do important work. They determine whether individuals have committed a crime worth prosecuting.
TCJC Executive Director Ana Yáñez-Correa to Become Program Officer at Public Welfare Foundation
Dr. Ana Yáñez-Correa, who has served as the Executive Director of the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition since 2005, has accepted the position of Program Officer at the Washington, DC-based Public Welfare Foundation. She will be leading the Foundation’s Criminal Justice program, effective November 2, 2015.
Public Welfare Foundation Selects New Criminal Justice Program Officer
Mary E. McClymont, president of the Public Welfare Foundation, announced today that Dr. Ana Yáñez-Correa, who is currently the executive director of the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJC), will become the foundation’s Criminal Justice Program Officer, effective November 2, 2015.
Read the rest of this article at the Public Welfare Foundation.
Texas Grand Jury Selection to Become More Random
Texas is on the verge of overhauling the way it selects grand jurors, shifting away from an antiquated process that critics say creates the potential for conflicts of interest.
Why Is Texas Still Sending 17-Year-Olds to Adult Prisons?
On the morning of March 26, 2005, Jason Wang and two other teenagers, all disguised as utility workers, left a Mesquite, Texas, home with a safe containing nearly $70,000 in stolen cash and valuables.
Legislators plan to review state jail standards
Sandra Bland’s suicide in the Waller County Jail on July 13 was the 140th time that detainees in Texas county jails have taken their own lives since authorities began compiling jail suicide statistics six years ago.
After Bland's death, lawmakers to address jail standards, police interactions
Sandra Bland's suicide in the Waller County jail on July 13 was the 140th time that detainees in Texas county jails have taken their own lives since authorities began compiling jail suicide statistics six years ago.
Sandra Bland Case Shows Deficiencies in Jail Oversight
When Sandra Bland was booked at the Waller County Jail, she told the staff she had attempted suicide before — a staff, it turns out, who had not been sufficiently trained on how to safeguard the well-being of inmates who are mentally ill, suicidal or pose a risk to themselves.
Unlikely allies form united front on criminal justice reform at summit
Imagine a political cause that is so powerfully moving that it can bring together people and organizations that normally campaign against each other, and have them call with one voice for something meaningful to be done.
Escape Should Lead to Drug Law Reform, Advocates Say
Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán's brazen escape last week from a maximum-security Mexican prison prompted anger from U.S. officials.
Some Convicted Felons Eligible for Food Stamps
If they finish their sentences and comply with any terms of parole, Texans convicted on felony drug charges soon will be able to receive food stamps, though another strike will put them back under a lifetime ban.
84th Legislature Supports Smart Justice Policies
The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition worked closely with lawmakers and coalition partners to pass important criminal and youth justice reforms this legislative session. These reforms will improve public safety in Texas communities and bring long-term cost savings to taxpayers.
Smart-On-Crime Agenda Scores Important Victories with the 84th Legislature
The Texas Smart-On-Crime Coalition – whose Executive Committee is comprised of the Texas Association of Business, Goodwill Central Texas, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition – worked tirelessly with members of the Texas Legislature this session to pass cost-saving bills that increase public safety, strengthen the state’s workforce, and improve Texas communities.
The right choices
America’s bloated prison system has stopped growing. Now it must shrink.
Report offers fixes for Harris County jail
After decades of America's incarceration mania, U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer recently told a congressional committee in Washington that America's criminal justice system is broken and that long, mandatory minimum sentences in correctional institutions that don't correct is a terrible idea.