According to the Travis County Plan for Substance Use Disorders, there are more than 85,000 youth and adults who abuse alcohol or illicit drugs every year in the county.
Alternatives to Incarceration
Texas Jail System ‘Defective’ Says Report
The flaws in the state's justice system cycle thousands of people through jails with little effort to address the roots of their behavior, says the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition.
A Failure in the Fourth Degree: Reforming the State Jail Felony System in Texas
The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition released the second report in its “One Size FAILS All” report series. The report, A Failure in the Fourth Degree: Reforming the State Jail Felony System in Texas, demonstrates through data and personal interviews with 140 incarcerated individuals the defective nature of Texas’ state jail system, and it puts forth actionable policy recommendations for consideration by the 2019 Texas Legislature.
Harris County jail launches suicide hotline for inmates
Still reeling from two recent inmate suicides, the Harris County jail on Monday launched a crisis hotline for prisoners, a novel approach to mental health that’s believed to be one of the first such efforts in the country.
Texas Lawmakers Are Rethinking Criminal Justice In Light Of Swollen Prison Population
Republicans and Democrats alike are increasingly in favor of overhauling the criminal justice system. That’s partly because incarceration is expensive.
A New Jail for Travis County?
Travis County moves forward with new women's building despite vote to delay and community outcry.
Reformers Hopeful the 2019 Legislature will Expand Texas’ Medical Marijuana Law
Activists are mapping a path to end arrests for possession and broaden the state's medical marijuana program ahead of the next legislative session.
Texas criminal justice reforms offer lessons for Oklahoma
Lawmakers in Texas say their efforts to reduce prison sizes and costs offer lessons for Oklahoma, where corrections officials are seeking hundreds of millions of dollars to build new ones.
Read the rest of this article at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Probation Failing Young Offenders
The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, a research and advocacy organization on CJ reform, has just issued a report on the use of probation for youthful offenders in Texas.
Health and Advocacy Organizations Urge the Texas Legislature to Implement Effective Strategies to Address Substance Use Disorder
A coalition of health and advocacy groups have jointly developed recommendations to address substance use disorder in Texas.