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The Latest Breaking News from TDCJ

Some Texas Prisoners Allowed Only Four Hours of Sleep a Night, Lawsuit Says

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a man incarcerated at the Estelle Unit who has been suing over his sleep schedule for a decade.

Texas Observer

An Open Letter to Richard Linklater on Our Texas Death Penalty

Capital punishment ensnares us all in a labyrinth of our own making, as "God Save Texas: Hometown Prison" poignantly reveals.

Texas Observer

No Path to Redemption for Devout Death Row Inmates

Texas offers religious education to the condemned but rarely values religious growth when considering clemency requests.

Texas Observer

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Advocates Request Clemency for Jewish Man on Death Row

Advocates argue that a difficult childhood and religious devotion should lead to a commutation or delay of execution.

Texas Observer

Texas inmate killed by cellmate during a statewide prison lockdown

The killing of inmate Billy Chemirmir in the Coffield Unit occurred during a statewide lockdown of prisons, promoted by a rise in inmate homicides. A day before the lockdown, another incident at the same prison resulted in the firings of seven correctional officers and the resignations of another six.

The Texas Tribune

‘It Will Take the Breath Out of You’: Prisoners Describe Extreme Nighttime Heat in Texas Units

TDCJ will allocate $85 million to provide air conditioning to more units. In the meantime, is heat killing people in Texas prisons?

Texas Observer

Texas prison system issues statewide lockdown to combat illegal drugs, inmate violence

The state has canceled all visits to Texas prison inmates until a comprehensive search of all 100 correctional facilities for contraband has been completed.

The Texas Tribune

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Texas prison lockdown over drug murders renews worries about lack of air conditioning in heat wave

Officials say the Texas prison system’s 100 units have been placed on a statewide lockdown due to a series of drug-related inmate homicides

The Independent UK

Dozens die in sweltering Texas prisons

At least 41 prisoners have died of heart-related or undetermined causes since the unrelenting heat wave began

Salon

As the death toll in stifling Texas prisons climbs, congressional Democrats ask for investigation

Most Texas prisons lack air conditioning. At least 41 prisoners have died of heart-related or undetermined causes since the unrelenting heat wave began.

The Texas Tribune

A prison guard says she was forced to stay at her post during labor pains. Texas is fighting compensation for her stillbirth.

The seven-months-pregnant officer reported contraction-like pains at work, but said she wasn’t allowed to leave for hours. The anti-abortion state is fighting her lawsuit, in part by saying her fetus didn’t clearly have rights.

The Texas Tribune

‘People are dying’: Texas prisoners say heatwave turns cells into ovens

State’s prisons at crisis point with temperatures regularly above 115F threatening physical and mental health of inmates

The Guardian - US

Texas heat wave has inmates' families worried about lack of air conditioning in state's prisons

As a summer heat wave continues to bake most of Texas, family members of inmates are calling for all of the state’s prisons to be fully air conditioned

The Independent UK

Prisoners’ relatives and former inmates plead for help as deaths mount in sweltering Texas prisons

Several lawmakers supported a call for Gov. Greg Abbott to bring lawmakers back immediately to approve air conditioning for prisons, which the Legislature declined to do during its regular session.

The Texas Tribune

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The Texas Tribune

Investigation finds no fraud by Texas prison contractor that was paid despite cutting inmate therapy services

Management & Training Corporation had been accused of defrauding the state by charging for services it didn’t provide and directing prisoners to falsify paperwork about their treatment.

The Texas Tribune

Inmates are dying in stifling Texas prisons, but the state seldom acknowledges heat as a cause of death

Since a heat wave gripped Texas, at least nine inmates, including two men in their 30s, have died of heart attacks or unknown causes in prisons lacking air conditioning. It’s been 11 years since the state last classified a death as heat-related.

Al Jazeera

Solitary confinement is still widespread in US prisons and jails

The United States locks people in isolation even though it causes severe psychological damage that can last a lifetime.

Texas Observer

Life with Parole

Probation and parole systems remain understaffed and buggy in Texas, causing people to fall through the cracks and land in prison.

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The Texas Tribune

Facing youth prison crisis, Texas lawmakers opt to build new facilities and funnel more kids to adult system

For more than a decade, Texas has been trying to slim down its youth prison system, which has been plagued by years of abuse scandals. This Legislature is reversing that course.

The Texas Tribune

Despite budget surplus, Texas Legislature makes little money available for prison air conditioning

Stifling heat has killed inmates and exacerbated employee turnover in Texas prisons. But funding for air conditioning was whittled down in the draft budget released Thursday.

The Texas Tribune

“A way to throw kids away”: Texas’ troubled juvenile justice department is sending more children to adult prisons

Moving the most violent and troubled youths to adult prison makes it easier to help others in juvenile facilities, some prosecutors and lawmakers say. Youth justice advocates say Texas is giving up on the children who most need help.

The Texas Tribune

Texas imprisoned Joshua Keith Beasley Jr. when he was 11, purportedly for his own good. Five years later, he returned home in a casket.

“They didn’t try to fix the brokenness,” his mother says. “They just broke him more.”

The Texas Tribune

Seven Texas prison employees face dismissal over 16-year-old inmate’s suicide

Joshua Keith Beasley Jr. had been transferred from a Texas youth facility to an adult prison despite a long history of suicidal behavior. Five guards and two supervisors allegedly failed to check on him.

Texas Observer

Prison Journalist Shows Why We Need a Free Press—Even Behind Bars

Jason Walker has been reporting from inside his cell at great risk to his personal safety.

The Texas Tribune

Texas House budgets $545 million for prison air conditioning. The Senate hasn’t offered anything.

Sweltering heat has killed inmates, driven away prison workers and cost taxpayers millions in lawsuits. The House budget would provide air conditioning for 46 prisons, but it’s unclear if the Senate will sign on.

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