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The Latest Breaking News from TDCJ

Pressure mounts on Texas to address brutal heat crisis in prison cells

State hit by new wrongful death lawsuit by family of Jason Wilson, who died in ‘brutally hot, un-airconditioned’ cell

The Guardian - US

Throwing the Book at Books in Prison

Inside Books Project volunteers have sent used books to Texas inmates for nearly 30 years. A new crackdown is threatening their work.

Texas Observer

Texas prisons just banned hardback and used books. Inmates were allegedly getting high off the pages

Advocates believes this policy is simply another book ban in disguise.

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Prisoners face new book ban after hundreds test positive for synthetic drugs

Texas already bans 10,827 book titles from prisoners, including The Color Purple, Alex Cross, and ’Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky

The Independent UK

Texas prisoners face new book ban after hundreds test positive for synthetic drugs

Inmates say the policy unfairly punishes them — and note that prison staff also bring in contraband.

The Texas Tribune

TDCJ official confirms in trial testimony that it could cost $1.5 billion to fully cool Texas prisons

Current and former heads of Texas’ prison system defended asking for lesser amounts to air-condition facilities during a federal trial on extreme heat in TDCJ facilities.

The Texas Tribune

Texas jails aren’t meeting deadlines to free inmates, costing some counties thousands in settlements

The state does not track the prevalence or provide guidance on the issue, leaving inmates to languish in jail and eventually sue counties for damages.

The Texas Tribune

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In Texas State Jails, a Rising Death Toll and a Broken Promise

Once billed as rehabilitative alternatives to prisons, these facilities are the sites of fatal overdoses—like that which ended the life of a Texan named Jackie Wiley.

Texas Observer

Texas is restricting the bathrooms trans people can use in government buildings. Here’s how the law works.

The “bathroom bill” doesn’t provide guidance for how government agencies, schools and universities should ensure people use facilities matching their sex assigned at birth.

The Texas Tribune

The Health Penalty

At a North Texas prison, one nurse practitioner racked up more than 20 federal lawsuits over alleged medical mistreatment. The patients’ stories illuminate a healthcare system that often seems like another form of punishment.

Texas Observer

Texas prison agency names senior official as its next chief

Bobby Lumpkin, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s COO, will take over the the top role on Sept. 1, following Bryan Collier’s retirement.

The Texas Tribune

Most Texas prisoners don’t have AC access and it’s unclear when they will get it

Despite receiving substantial state funding to air-condition prisons in the last few years, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has stayed mum on when it will install cooling across the system.

The Texas Tribune

‘Texas has the money’: families fight for basic air conditioning in state’s prisons

The Guardian - US

A bill to air-condition all Texas prisons likely to fail again in the Senate

House Bill 3006 would have required the installation of climate control in state prison by 2032.

The Texas Tribune

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The Texas Tribune

Bill requiring air conditioning in all Texas prisons wins House approval

House Bill 3006 would require the installation of climate control in state prison facilities by 2032.

The Texas Tribune

Texas bills requiring air-conditioned prisons languish despite temperatures being ruled unconstitutional

The five bills that would require complete air conditioning in state prisons haven’t had a hearing yet, and the money set for the upgrades falls short of the estimated cost.

Texas Observer

An Inside Look at Taser Use in Texas Prison

The sound of electricity sizzling and crackling broke the silence. To me, it looked like the electric chair was officially back in the prisons.

The Texas Tribune

Texas should close prisons and jails with staffing challenges, state oversight panel says

A report found up to 70% of guard positions were unfilled at some prisons. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has a 26% staff turnover rate.

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The Texas Tribune

Texas House panel may never hear Robert Roberson’s testimony after new legal move

Attorney General Ken Paxton sought to delay legal proceedings until Jan. 13 — the day before the committee disbands — even as lawmakers vowed to continue fighting to hear from Roberson.

The Texas Tribune

Attorney General Ken Paxton files motion to block death row inmate Robert Roberson from testifying

The motion escalates a tense standoff between Paxton and a bipartisan Texas House committee, which had subpoenaed Roberson to testify at the Capitol on Friday.

The Texas Tribune

Handshakes, murals and ministry: A reopened Texas prison focuses on rehabilitation

The Bartlett Unit in Williamson County will house 1,049 male inmates who will participate in educational programs aimed to help them secure a job after they’ve served their time.

The Texas Tribune

Inside the only college class in Texas to help prepare inmates for life after prison

More than 250 Texas prisoners are on the waitlist to join the Lee College reentry class. Programs like these prepare students to find jobs and help lower recidivism.

The Texas Tribune

Texas can schedule Robert Roberson’s execution — but lawmakers still expect his testimony first

Roberson was convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter in a “shaken baby” case that many say led to an innocent man’s death sentence.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Supreme Court removes temporary block to Robert Roberson’s execution

The state’s highest civil court ruled that legislators can’t use subpoenas to block death row inmates’ executions, but suggested there’s still time for Roberson to testify before a Texas House panel.

Reason

These Texas Inmates Wrote a Book. Then the Prison System Banned It.

The government will prevent prisoners from getting TEXAS LETTERS, an anthology about experiences with solitary confinement.

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