TCJE in the News


Press Contact: For all media inquiries, please contact Madison Kaigh, Communications Manager, at mkaigh@TexasCJE.orgor (512) 441-8123, ext. 108.


 

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. 

Read the rest of this article at The Texas Tribune.

Texas Threatening to Do Some Progressive Criminal Justice Reform

Amid what's been a massive bummer of a Texas legislative session, the search for silver linings has been difficult. Over the past week, though, a solid contender has developed: the chance for meaningful criminal justice reform. Specifically, a pair of efforts that would make it easier for ex-offenders to secure employment have picked up steam in recent days.

Read the rest of this article at The Dallas Observer.

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.

Read the rest of the article at The Vice.

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.

Read the rest of this press release here.

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, some of which are featured below.  These reforms will improve public safety in Texas communities and bring long-term cost savings to taxpayers. 

Read the rest of this press release here.

The right choices

America’s bloated prison system has stopped growing. Now it must shrink.

Read the rest of this article at The Economist.

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. 

Read the rest of this article at The Texas Tribune.

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.

Read the rest of this article at the Houston Chronicle.

From Solitary to the Street

What happens when prisoners go from complete isolation to complete freedom in a day? 

Read the rest of this article at The Marshall Project.

EDITORIAL: Crime doesn't pay, but justice still costly

Wise observers of the Texas Legislature have learned to temper their expectations before each session. Yet there was a secret hope that the twin engines of liberal and conservative supporters could push important criminal justice reforms over the finish line.

Read the rest of this article at Beaumont Enterprise.