Conditions of Confinement

Texas takes $30 million from troubled juvenile justice department to fund border initiative Operation Lone Star

Texas takes $30 million from troubled juvenile justice department to fund border initiative Operation Lone Star

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is now paying for his controversial border mission Operation Lone Star with money from the state’s cash-strapped Texas Juvenile Justice Department. About $31 million of the nearly half billion dollars he raked from a half dozen state agencies earlier this month to fund national guard troops on the southern border came from the state’s juvenile justice fund.

Melissa Lucio supporters hold rallies days before scheduled execution

Melissa Lucio supporters hold rallies days before scheduled execution

Melissa Lucio supporters are holding a National Day of Action across the country just four days ahead of her scheduled execution date. Lucio is set to be put to death on Wednesday, April 27. She was convicted of killing her 2-year-old daughter in 2007 but has maintained her innocence over the years. Lucio said her daughter's death was an accident after suffering injuries falling down a flight of stairs at their South Texas home.

Supporters rally in last-ditch effort to stop Melissa Lucio's scheduled execution

Supporters rally in last-ditch effort to stop Melissa Lucio's scheduled execution

Supporters of death row inmate Melissa Lucio gathered at the Texas Capitol Sunday afternoon in an effort to stop her execution scheduled for next week. It's the latest effort underway to save Lucio, who was convicted of killing her youngest daughter in 2007. She is scheduled to be executed on April 27.

Melissa Lucio's Life Was Spared at the Last Minute. What Happens Now?

Melissa Lucio's Life Was Spared at the Last Minute. What Happens Now?

When the news broke, the small crowd gathered outside the governor’s public reception room at the Texas Capitol erupted with cheers: The state’s Court of Criminal Appeals had stayed Melissa Lucio’s impending execution. It was sending her case back to district court to consider several pressing claims, including that Lucio was innocent in the 2007 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah.

Read the rest of this article from The Intercept.

Supporters in Dallas rally for Melissa Lucio, an abused mother who faces the death penalty

Supporters in Dallas rally for Melissa Lucio, an abused mother who faces the death penalty

From politicians of all stripes to celebrities like Kim Kardashian — and a cross-section of Texans — supporters of Melissa Lucio are urging the state of Texas not to execute her later this month. That was the message at a rally Thursday night in Dallas.

Read the rest of this article from KERA Dallas.

Books, E-Readers, and the Cost of Reading in Prison

Books, E-Readers, and the Cost of Reading in Prison

During the Cost of Reading in Prisons: Book Censorship and E-Reader Tablets In Carceral Institutions, a panel of advocates for prison inmates outlined the struggle to provide incarcerated people with access to reading materials—as well as the benefits and mounting challenges facing the introduction of digital reading devices into prisons.

Texas Center for Justice and Equity & Texas Women’s Justice Coalition to Mark International Women’s Day

Texas Center for Justice and Equity & Texas Women’s Justice Coalition to Mark International Women’s Day

Today, the Texas Center for Justice and Equity (TCJE) and the Texas Women’s Justice Coalition, which was co-founded by TCJE, will mark International Women’s Day by highlighting the unique challenges faced by women in the criminal legal system.

Read the rest of this press release here.

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