Every day in Memphis, more than 5,000 people, on average, spend their hours locked up inside one of four Shelby County facilities, according to figures provided by county officials. More than half are pretrial detainees, held behind bars before being convicted of any crime.
Conditions of Confinement
Huntsville prisoner allegedly killed by guard was handcuffed during deadly use-of-force
The Texas prisoner allegedly killed by a guard earlier this year was handcuffed during the August use-of-force incident in a Huntsville prison that led to his death, state records show.
More toothless Texas inmates to get dentures, not just pureed food
The Texas prison system is changing its denture policy — creating a dedicated denture clinic and hiring a prosthodontic specialist — in an effort to ensure that more inmates get teeth.
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.
Drill bit-planting claim sparks another investigation at Texas prison
An allegation that Texas corrections officers planted drill bits in an inmate's cell at a southeast Texas prison has sparked another investigation at the same Brazoria County lock-up where earlier this year four officers were indicted.
Texas prison system slashes price of inmate phone calls by 77 percent
The Texas prison system on Friday voted to drastically slash the cost of inmate calls home by more than 75 percent with a new phone contract more favorable to inmates and their families.
Harris County inmate hangs herself, marking jail's 2nd apparent suicide in a month
A Harris County inmate jailed on a theft charge died after hanging herself in a common area of the jail late Tuesday, marking the facility's second suicide in less than a month.
Probation Sets Up Young Adults for Failure: Report
The Texas Criminal Justice coalition calls for reforms to community supervision that are “developmentally appropriate” to young people who age out of the juvenile justice system but are still too immature to understand the consequences of their behavior.