What We're Reading
News that caught our attention or cited the Texas Justice Initiative from across the Lone Star State and beyond.
‘They Should Have Been Watching’: Suicides Rise in Texas Prisons During Pandemic
Published on August 13, 2021In less than one week in July, five people in Texas prisons died by suicide, including Kevin Praylor, 43, reports Keri Blakinger. TJI found that it was only the second time since 2005 that so many prisoners died by suicide in a span of six days.
A Story of Two Deaths at the Collin County Jail
Published on August 2, 2021Dalton Laferney reports on two deaths – 14 years apart – that took place in the Collin County Jail while individuals were being restrained. Both deaths were ruled homicides, Laferney reports.
Police shootings continue daily, despite a pandemic, protests and pushes for reform
Published on July 30, 2021The Washington Post has tracked fatal shootings by police since 2015 and report that "midway through this year, fatal police shootings are down compared with the same period last year." Still, officers shot and killed an average of 1,000 people each year – about three individuals a day – over the past six years.
Trauma on top of trauma: why more women are dying in jails
Published on July 13, 2021Candice Norwood, for the 19th News, reports on new data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics on in-custody deaths on the anniversary of the death of Sandra Bland. Norwood writes: "As with Sandra Bland, the majority of jail deaths occurred among people who had not been convicted of a crime, and about 40 percent in 2018 happened within the first seven days of admission."
Lost Opportunity, Lost Lives
Published on June 29, 2021Reporter Lisa Armstrong examines how the coronavirus pandemic affected older people in prisons, who were particularly vulnerable and are also unlikely to reoffend.