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The Latest Breaking News from TDCJ

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.

Texas Observer

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.

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

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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

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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.

The Texas Tribune

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.

Reason

Texas' Prison System Could Run Out of Beds for Those Incarcerated by Late 2025, New Report Says

Moreover, some prisons in the state are operating with up to 70% of prison guard positions unfilled as shortages continue

Latin Times

Texas prison system’s staffing crisis and outdated technology endanger guards and inmates

A new state report says the prison population will outgrow capacity by the end of next year.

The Texas Tribune

Solidarity from Solitary and Beyond

Texans are organizing inside and outside of prisons to empower incarcerated workers, who labor in dangerous conditions without pay.

Texas Observer

Staffing shortages makes it harder for Texas inmates to deal with extreme indoor heat conditions, critics say

Currently, about 24% of the 24,112 correctional officer positions in Texas prisons are vacant

Latin Times

Texas’ prison guard shortfall makes it harder for inmates to get reprieve from extreme indoor heat, critics say

About 25% of Texas’ correctional officer positions are unfilled. Inmates say the shortages make it harder for them to get respite during hot summer months.

The Texas Tribune

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The Guardian - US

‘It’s torture’: brutal heat broils Texas prisons, killing dozens of inmates

Legal action aims to force criminal justice department to air condition prisons, where 85,000 are at risk of heat illnesses

Texas Observer

When Summer Heat Hits My Texas Prison

High temperatures and scarce air conditioning cause tempers to flare for prisoners and guards alike.

Texas Observer

Waiting Out the Storm in Prison

Incarcerated Texans describe conditions in prison following Hurricane Beryl.

Texas Observer

Texas’ Plantation Prisons: Inside a 200-Year History of Forced Labor Shrouded in Secrecy

Punishments, injuries, and deaths—including from heat—on TDCJ farms are more hidden than they were in the years following convict leasing.

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Texas Observer

Taking Prison to Court: Fighting for the Right to Sleep

Michael Garrett sued the Texas Department of Criminal Justice more than a decade ago, and he’s working from inside to keep the case alive.

The Texas Tribune

When Texas jails issue tablets, it comes at cost for inmates and families

A handful of Texas jails have issued electronic tablets to inmates. Counties can make money off their use.

The Texas Tribune

Feds accuse Texas prison agency of discriminating against employee for wearing a headscarf

A federal lawsuit asserts that the Texas agency terminated a state prison clerk who refused to remove a head covering in line with her Ifa faith.

Latin Times

Advocates seek to protect Texas inmates from uncooled imprisonment, say they're being 'cooked to death'

A complaint against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice says that lack of air conditioning in the premises amounts to cruel punishment

The Texas Tribune

Texas inmates are being ‘cooked to death’ in extreme heat, complaint alleges

With the threat of another hot summer ahead, advocates asked a federal judge to declare 100-degree-plus conditions in uncooled Texas facilities unconstitutional.

Texas Observer

‘There Have to Be Limits’: Lawsuit Urges Scorching Prisons to Cool Down

New plaintiffs have expanded a 2023 lawsuit against TDCJ, accusing the agency of “cooking [prisoners] to death."

Texas Observer

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.

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