Conditions of Confinement

Southtown gallery Presa House engages Bexar County DA, Planned Parenthood for upcoming events

Southtown gallery Presa House engages Bexar County DA, Planned Parenthood for upcoming events

Southtown gallery Presa House will host two events this month that engage a broader cross-section of the city than the typical art world crowd. The first takes place Sunday, April 11, and is the latest in a monthly documentary screening program conducted in partnership with the PBS Indie Lens Pop-Up Virtual series.

Immigrant rights groups call for transparency after touring emergency migrant youth shelter

Immigrant rights groups call for transparency after touring emergency migrant youth shelter

Only one child in federal custody at the Freeman Coliseum has been reunited with his family. The vast majority of the 1,898 children ages 13-17 who remain at the facility have been there long past the five- to seven-day timeline that immigrant rights groups were told to expect before authorities reunited the children with their families.

Read the rest of this article from the San Antonio Report.

Five Times Miami's New Police Chief Got it Wrong on Public Safety

Five Times Miami's New Police Chief Got it Wrong on Public Safety

Art Acevedo, Miami’s new chief of police, works hard to project a public image that threads the needle between appearing tough on crime and assuring more liberal members of the public that he takes their concerns about policing seriously. He’s good at it.

Read the rest of this article from The Appeal.

Immigrants' rights groups call on federal government to speed up family reunification process after touring Freeman Coliseum

Immigrants' rights groups call on federal government to speed up family reunification process after touring Freeman Coliseum

A coalition of immigrants’ rights groups are urging the federal government to speed up the family reunification process, following a tour of the Freeman Coliseum, which currently houses more than 1,800 unaccompanied migrant children. The tour comes after Gov. Greg Abbott held a press conference Wednesday, calling for the facility to shut down operations, alleging instances of sexual abuse taking place, staffing issues and coronavirus safety concerns.

Texas prisons stopped in-person visits and limited mail. Drugs got in anyway.

Texas prisons stopped in-person visits and limited mail. Drugs got in anyway.

Last year, the Texas prison system unwittingly started a controlled experiment. Agency leaders have long blamed prisoners’ friends and families for a constant flow of drugs they say are often smuggled in through visits and greeting cards. To combat this, prison officials in early March set up new rules curtailing prisoner mail.

One Year After First Taking Action on COVID-19, Texas Criminal Justice Reform Advocates Decry Continuing Dangers for Incarcerated People

One Year After First Taking Action on COVID-19, Texas Criminal Justice Reform Advocates Decry Continuing Dangers for Incarcerated People

Exactly one year after the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJC) first asked Governor Greg Abbott to protect incarcerated people and their communities from the urgent threat of COVID-19, the organization is remembering the lives lost to the virus and continuing to push for action.

Texas Lifts Ban On Prison Visits After 1 Year

Texas Lifts Ban On Prison Visits After 1 Year

Starting Monday, Texas prisoners will be able to see their loved ones in person again with some restrictions. It's been one year since Texas banned prison visits due to the pandemic. Here & Now's Tonya Mosley speaks with Kirsten Ricketts, who hasn't seen her husband Jeremy Ricketts since March 13, 2020. She's on the steering committee for the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition's Statewide Leadership Council.

Our view: Texas prisons take right step with in-person visits

Our view: Texas prisons take right step with in-person visits

For the first time in a year, Texas inmates will be allowed in-person visits, another sign that the state is working to return to some semblance of normalcy following the disruptions of COVID-19. The policy takes effect Monday (March 15), according to a recent story from the Texas Tribune.

Read the rest of this article from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

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