You might expect a foreign visitor eager to learn about the penal system in the Lone Star State to head for the Texas Prison Museum near Houston, to check out the star exhibit.
In a victory for prison reform groups, in-person visitations are coming back after more than two years behind screens.
The Fort Bend County sheriff is pushing back against criticism of his agency following two reported jail suicides this fall, including a state report citing the jail for violating minimum standards.
Jacqueline Aguilar’s 26-year-old brother, Jose Aguilar, had spent nearly nine months in solitary confinement at the Ferguson Unit when he hanged himself in February 2014.
In the aftermath of Sandra Bland's death in the Waller County jail, Texas is now discussing suicide prevention in local jails.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has a variety of internal accountability mechanisms, including the offender grievance process, the Ombudsman office (which handles inquiries from the public), and the Office of the Inspector General (which conducts investigations and policy monitoring).
Miguel Moll knew the risk of rape when he was thrown into a Texas jail in 1989 after joyriding in a stolen car.
Only 12 US states are in full compliance with an prison anti-rape rule intended to keep juvenile offenders from adults.
Miguel Moll knew the risk of rape when he was thrown into a Texas jail in 1989 after joyriding in a stolen car.
County officials have known for some time that the Harris County jail is overcrowded with inmates who haven't yet been convicted of a crime, who are there in many instances just because they can't afford to pay bail before trial.
