Hammond: Criminal justice should deliver better results at lower cost
Texas spends more than $168 million each year locking people up for state jail felonies — in many cases for minor offenses — with a 62 percent re-arrest rate within three years.
Kim Ogg's request for 100 more prosecutors criticized by reformers
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg is asking Commissioners Court for 100 new prosecutors to help clear a felony case backlog that was exacerbated by Hurricane Harvey.
La Puerta, a safe place for sex trafficking victims to heal, is ready to open in San Antonio
La Puerta, an emergency shelter for the underage victims of sex-trafficking, was unveiled during a ceremony Jan. 30, 2019. The facility is a service of Roy Maas Youth Alternatives.
Texas Prison Reformers Demand Dignity for Incarcerated Women
Bills addressing the basic needs of incarcerated women bolster the larger call for reform in the state prison system this session.
Formerly incarcerated women demand fairness, dignified treatment for women in prison
On this International Women's Day, a group of women who've served time are demanding lawmakers pass a series of bills that would help meet the needs of the thousands of women who are locked up.
Some Texas Lawmakers Want To Make Porch Package Theft A Felony
Stealing a package off someone’s front porch could soon become a much more serious crime. Three bills in the Texas Legislature are proposing to make it a felony.
Texas Lawmakers Want Judges To Send Fewer Moms To Prison
When Mia Greer went to prison, she says she wasn’t the only one who was punished. Her kids suffered too.
Third Time’s The Charm? Marijuana Decriminalization Gets Another Chance in Texas
The first marijuana reform bill heard in committee this session would downgrade possession of an ounce to a civil offense and a fine up to $250.
New Report Explains the Link Between Homelessness and Justice System Involvement
The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition released the final report in its "One Size Fails All" report series. The report, Return to Nowhwere: The Revolving Door Between Incarceration and Homelessness, examines the undeniable link between homelessness and criminal justice system involvement, and the factors that contribute to both. It offers recommendations to end the chronic pattern that wastes lives and squanders resources that could be better used to address the factors leading to homelessness.
Harris County Leaders Vote Against District Attorney’s $20 Million Budget Request To Hire More Prosecutors
The Harris County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday against District Attorney Kim Ogg’s request for a $20 million budget increase to hire more prosecutors.