The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and the Texas Inmates Family Association said the recent felony charges and other ongoing problems highlight the need for independent investigations into one of the most opaque state agencies. 

Read the rest of this post at The Crime Report. 

After several Texas prison employees were indicted earlier this month for allegedly conspiring to plant screwdrivers in an inmate’s cell, advocacy groups are calling for an outside entity to serve as a watchdog of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Read the rest of this article at the Texas Tribune. 

State prison officials are in emergency-response mode this week as a heat wave bears down on a large swath of Texas, rivaling the system that triggered the deaths of 10 inmates from heat stroke in 2011.

Read the rest of this article at the Houston Chronicle. 

As investigators build their case against the man they have accused of cutting off his ankle monitor and killing three people, top law officials say the tragedy raises questions about the oversight and tracking of parole violators in Houston.

Read the rest of this article at the Houston Chronicle. 

By 2020, the only bachelor's degree programs available to incarcerated women in Texas will end. TCJC's Lindsey Linder shares the importance of adding more degree programs for women and examination of barriers to entry. 

Read the rest of this article at the Texas Observer.

Lindsey Linder joins Bill Hammond of Texas Smart On Crime Coalition on an op-ed regardng the unjust pretrial practices of money bail bonds, their harm to the poor, and endangerment to public safety.  

Read the rest of this article at TribTalk.

Public defender Amalia Beckner crowdfunds to purchase books for jailed clients. TCJC's Doug Smith shares his personal story to the power of books behind bars. 

Read the rest of this article at the Houston Chronicle.

Participants discuss Texas’ next step in “bipartisan” movement dealing with the over incarceration of women.

Read the rest of this article at Austin Monthly.

Substance abuse, poverty, economic disadvantages, and mental health issues have contributed to a dramatic increase in the number of women incarcerated in Texas in the last three decades, community leaders, law enforcement officials and attorneys said Wednesday.

Read the rest of this article at My Statesman.

U.S. Reps. Karen Bass (D-CA) and Mia Love (R-UT) Urge All Women in Congress to Co-Sponsor their Forthcoming Bill During Women Unshackled: The Next Step

Read the rest of this article at Justice Action Network.