Conditions of Confinement

Leaders Impacted by Criminal Punishment System to Host RGV Event

Screengrab of press release PDF

This Saturday, system-impacted Texans will gather in Edinburg for a community-building event. Organized by the Texas Center for Justice and Equity’s Statewide Leadership Council (SLC), the event will expand outreach to local community members who’ve been arrested, incarcerated, on probation or parole, or family members of those who have. “Know Your Rights! - Navigating the Legal and Carceral System” is free and will be hosted at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg.

Austin Event to Highlight Solutions Outside of Criminal Punishment System

Screengrab of press release

This Friday, local coalitions and organizations will gather for a community conversation focused on incarceration, public safety, and healing. “The State of Public Safety Through Healing and Equity” will be led by crime survivors and Texans who’ve been personally impacted by the criminal punishment system. The event is free for all community members, and will be hosted at St. Edwards University.

Letters to the Editor — Renewable energy, special ed teachers, youth prisons, energy tips

The Roserock Solar Project in Pecos County, Texas, photo via Dallas Morning News/Recurrent Energy

Letter to the Dallas Morning News Editorial Board from Sarah Reyes, TCJE Director of Youth Justice: The Texas Center for Justice and Equity is pleased that the editorial board has raised serious questions about the state allocating $200 million to build new child prisons.

The Juvenile “Injustice” System: How Texas Turns a Blind Eye on Incarcerated Youth

Shadow on wall behind prison bars, via Ye Jinghan, Unsplash, Harvard Political Review

Twenty-three hours out of the day, youth in juvenile detention facilities in McLennan County, Texas are being locked in their cells for solitary confinement. Just a couple miles away at a youth prison in North Texas, children reported using water bottles as makeshift toilets because they were prevented from leaving their cells to use the bathroom.

Formerly Incarcerated Leaders to Gather for Community-Building Event in San Antonio

Screengrab of press release PDF

On December 30, a group of formerly incarcerated and justice system-impacted Texans will convene in San Antonio. The event, “From Prison to Power: Finding Your Voice After Incarceration,” is organized by the Texas Center for Justice and Equity’s Statewide Leadership Council (SLC).

Read the rest of this press release here.

Artists Respond to Conditions in Harris County Jail and Mass Incarceration in the US

Art piece drawing attention to conditions in Harris County Jail, showing a set of windows with many in red. Text reading, Each window in red represents a life lost in Harris County Jail custody in 2022. A majority of people here have not been convicted of a crime: they simply cannot afford bail. Some are paying with their lives.

In early November, Art at a Time Like This will launch 8x5 Houston, a public intervention with artworks responding to the mass incarceration crisis. Displayed on ten billboards and four mobile billboard trucks throughout the city, the project will run from November 4th to November 30th.

Read the rest of this article from Houston Style Magazine.

Advocates worry unmarked graves will surface during elementary school construction in Fort Bend

Screengrab from news video showing Jay speaking to a reporter. Text reading Controversy Over Fort Bend ISD's Plan to Build School on Old Prison Farm

The Fort Bend County community is pushing to ensure a new elementary school isn't built on unmarked graves. The proposed school would be situated to serve a fast-growing part of the county. The undeveloped field is between two newer subdivisions off of Harlem Road in the Harvest Green community, and the district says it picked this location because so many people are moving to the area.

Watch the full video from ABC 13 Houston.

Prison to Power: Advocating for change in TX

Screengrab of Fox Austin video with two SLC members speaking to anchor

A group of formerly incarcerated Texans is organizing to bring change to Texas prisons. A free event Saturday, called Prison to Power, focuses on helping people personally impacted by the criminal system.

Watch the full video from Fox 7 Austin.

Texas Center for Justice and Equity Releases 2023 Bill Analysis Guide While Acknowledging Need for Deeper Gains

Texas Capitol dome Text: 2023 Bill Analysis Guide: New Justice Legislation in Texas TCJE logo

Today, the Texas Center for Justice and Equity (TCJE) released a guide to around 40 bills that passed into law during the 2023 session of the Texas Legislature. The majority of the new laws go into effect on Friday, September 1. These bills span youth and adult justice—including court processes and defense, probation and treatment options, incarceration and conditions of confinement, parole and reentry, and other relevant issues.

All Texas prisons under lockdown in response to rising violence in units, TDCJ says

Texas Department of Criminal Justice men's prison, Darrington Unit, in unincorporated Brazoria County. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice on Wednesday placed all of its facilities under lockdown, using new measures they say are in response to rising violence tied to illegal drugs within the prison units. All visitation is canceled until further notice, each facility will limit the movement of inmates and their contact with people outside the prison and both inmates and staff will undergo searches, according to a news release from the agency. The prisons will resume normal operations once they are completed. No timetable was provided.

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