Public News Service

A report from the nonprofit Inseparable found the rollout of 988 is something with which states are struggling and support is available to get it done. (bnenin/Adobe Stock)

Report: TX lawmakers can do more to support 988 crisis hotline

Mental health workers are urging lawmakers to draft bipartisan policies to expand access to mental health care services. The 988 Suicide and Crisis …

Families say they agreed to the settlement with Uvalde because they did not want to bankrupt the city. (Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock)

Remembering the Uvalde mass shooting; two years ago today

Two years ago today, a teenager killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. The families of those shot and killed have …

Multiple lawsuits have been filed against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice because its prisons are not air conditioned. (Felix Pergande/Adobe Stock)

People in TX prisons claim heat-related health effects, demand air conditioning

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is facing a class action lawsuit calling for the agency to add central air conditioning to all its prisons…

Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton agrees to deal to have felony securities fraud charges dropped against him. (Alice Linahan, Voices Empower/Wikimedia)

TX Attorney General gets deal but legal issues not over

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has emerged from a long court case with another win. After nine years and multiple delays, prosecutors …

Estados Unidos ha advertido a casi 100 pa�ses de que la inteligencia rusa est� intensificando sus esfuerzos para desestabilizar las democracias sembrando dudas sobre la integridad de las elecciones. (Argus/AdobeStock)

Expertos en democracia temen caos y violencia antes de las elecciones de 2024

Un experto en derecho electoral dice que las declaraciones de culpabilidad de los abogados de Trump en el caso de interferencia electoral de Georgia p…

The United States has warned nearly 100 countries that Russian intelligence is ramping up efforts to destabilize democracies by raising doubts about elections integrity. (Argus/AdobeStock)

Democracy experts worry about chaos, violence ahead of 2024 elections

An election law expert says guilty pleas from Trump lawyers in Georgia's election interference case probably won't change the minds of voters who thin…

Prison guards in the Lone Star State make between $42,000 and $51,000 a year, depending on experience, and received a 5% pay raise on July 1, according to the Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice. (AnyaSlepyan/Daily Yonder)

TX Fills Prison, Jail Job Vacancies with High School Recruits

Texas high schools offering training in corrections and law enforcement are being tapped by the state's Department of Criminal Justice to address mass…

In March, the Dallas County Jail failed its state inspection for the second year in a row, with the agency noting it had been out of compliance for about three months. (fau.org)

Group Fears New Dallas Jail Could Stall Justice Reform

Members of a Texas group working to end mass incarceration thought they were making headway, but now they're not so sure. Faith in Texas has ideas …

Texas' House Bill 1280, soon to take effect, makes it a second-degree felony

Texas Abortion Poll: Lawmakers Out of Step With Constituents

Texas soon will enact one of the strictest abortion bans in the country - and a majority of voters don't like it. Three out of four - 77% of the …

Before the pandemic, CDC statistics showed about 700 women died each year of pregnancy-related complications, with Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women about three times more likely to die compared to white women. (parentingupstream/Pixabay)

Study: Maternal Deaths Would Skyrocket with Nationwide Abortion Ban

Texas is home to one in 10 Americans of reproductive age, and mandated births due to the state's abortion ban will increase the number of maternal …

The share of crimes in the United States committed by young people has fallen by more than half over the past two decades, according to The Sentencing Project. (ThomasR�desheim/Pixabay)

Reports of Youth Crime Wave Debunked by Latest Research

New research by The Sentencing Project shows a drop in youth crime over the past 20 years, which debunks a so-called "false narrative" of a youth …

Texas prisons still were at more than 95% capacity in December 2020, several months into the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

"Somebody Cares": TX Group Continues Bail-Reform Battle

This week, members of Faith in Texas will be at the Dallas County Jail, as they are most Fridays. As the state's incarceration rate grows, the group …

Child sex trafficking can have devastating immediate and long-term consequences, including health impacts, psychological and physical trauma. (Steven Depolo/HungryKids.org)

Child Sex-Trafficking Numbers Rise in Texas

Texas Rangers investigating reports of child sex trafficking at a shelter in Bastrop reported they did not find enough evidence to support the charges…

Median bond amounts are roughly $10,000 higher for Black defendants than for their white counterparts, according to a study by the Michigan League for Public Policy. (asecondchancebailbonds.org)

TX Bailout Highlights Inequities Between Poor, Rich Defendants

Nine Texas residents now held in the Dallas County jail system will be bailed out this Thursday and met by reform advocates who say the bail system is…

Juvenile justice has its origins in the adult criminal-justice system, and can create similar racial injustices. (yos.org)

Texas Juvenile-Justice Racial Gap Improves, But Slowly

AUSTIN, Texas -- When kids get in trouble with the law, it is far more likely they'll be incarcerated if they're Black or brown, and that has created …

Republican-controlled states including Florida, Georgia and Iowa passed restrictive new voting laws based on disproven charges by former President Donald Trump there was fraud in the 2020 election, which he lost by more than 7 million votes. (kbhall17/Pixabay)

TX Democrats Aim to Stop Voter Restrictions by Leaving Town

AUSTIN, Texas -- A majority of Democrats in the Texas House exited the state Monday in an attempt to block Republicans from passing new laws to …

Research has shown that youths in the adult criminal justice system are 34% more likely to be arrested again than those convicted of similar offenses in juvenile court. (nicolagiordano/Pixabay)

Push Continues in Texas to "Raise the Age" for Juvenile Offenders

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas is one of only three states to automatically treat 17-year-olds as adults when they are arrested, and the Texas Criminal …

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

Dallas -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both the US …

Gov. Abbott Goes After Austin on Police Budgets, Homelessness

AUSTIN, Texas - At a roundtable on public safety yesterday with law enforcement officials from across the state, Gov. Greg Abbott targeted Austin in …

En Texas se hacen reclutamientos electorales a los trabajadores, prepar�ndose para la Elecci�n de noviembre.

Texas recluta personal para encuestar y Prepararse ante las elecciones de noviembre

Austin, TX - Texas espera una concurrencia sin precedentes en la elección de noviembre. Esa es la buena noticia. ¿La mala? Al personal del …

Every year, an estimated 218,000 young people are admitted to detention facilities nationwide, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (gabrielberophs/Pixabay)

Juvenile Detentions Fall During COVID-19, Especially for Minorities

AUSTIN, Texas -- Arrests that land young people in the Texas juvenile-justice system have dropped since the coronavirus pandemic began, mirroring a …

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department temporarily suspended new admissions to facilities this month due to the COVID-19 outbreak. (texascjc.org)

Study: Juvenile Incarcerations Drop in Coronavirus Pandemic

AUSTIN, Texas -- As the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the U.S. last month, the number of young people in local secure detention centers fell by 24…

The overall incarceration rate in the United States is 700 inmates per 100,000 people, but in Texas it's nearly 900. The average cost of incarceration is $22,000 per inmate, per year. (Pixabay)

Companies Pledge to Hire More Applicants with Criminal Backgrounds

AUSTIN, Texas – Leading companies in the United States, and trade groups representing more than 60 percent of the U.S. workforce, have …

Thousands of older Texans are victims of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation each year. (sabinevanerp/Pixabay)

Calls to Boost Protection for Older Texans

AUSTIN, Texas — The number of Texans age 65 and over is expected to double by 2030, and advocacy groups say increased investments by the state …

The majority of people who commit violent acts don't have a diagnosable mental-health condition, but survivors face risks. (Pxhere)

Mental-Health Tips Offered for Returning Santa Fe Students

SANTA FE, Texas – As Santa Fe High School students head back into the classroom today, mental-health experts want them to know that help is …

People on death row in Texas prisons can often spend a decade or more waiting for appeals to work their way through the federal court system. (Twenty20)

TX Seeks to Limit Federal Appeals of People on Death Row

AUSTIN, Texas – Death-penalty opponents say a request by Texas officials to limit the amount of time people on death row have to appeal their …

A new study shows that the number of women sent to prisons in Texas has increased by more than 900 percent since 1980. (Alina555/GettyImages)

Study: Texas Needs Alternatives to Sending Women to Prison

AUSTIN, Texas – Prison reform advocates say too many of the 12,000 women in Texas prisons don't need to be behind bars. A study by the …

Thousands of students, teachers and parents descended on the Florida State Capitol in protest after a former student with an assault rifle killed 17 students at a school in a shooting rampage. (Moore/GettyImages)<br />

Texas Teachers’ Group Balks at Carrying Guns in School

AUSTIN, Texas – After the recent deadly shootings at a Florida high school, gun advocates such as the National Rifle Association and others say …

The number of women incarcerated in Texas has grown 10 percent since 2009. (jodylehigh/Pixabay)

Study: Number of Women Grows in Texas Prison System

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Prison populations are dropping in most states, but a new study finds the number of incarcerated women isn't falling as …

The Austin State Hospital was opened in 1857 as the Texas State Lunatic Asylum. It will be replaced with a new $235 million facility in 2019. (THHSC)

Texas Funds Renovations for Crumbling Mental Health Hospitals

AUSTIN, Texas – After decades of neglect, Texas has begun a two-year, $300 million project to rebuild and renovate the state's antiquated …

The ACLU of Texas wants details from some county sheriffs about their agreements to allow local deputies to act as federal immigration officers. (Kaybe70/GettyImages)

ACLU Texas Demands Info on County Agreements with ICE

HOUSTON – The American Civil Liberties Union is confronting a number of Texas counties that have entered into law-enforcement agreements with fe…

Advocates say DNA testing of evidence in rape kits is the key to identifying suspects in sexual assault cases. (GettyImages)

New Texas Law Enables Comprehensive Rape Kit Reform

AUSTIN, Texas — With the passage of a bill establishing a tracking system for evidence in sexual-assault cases, Texas has become the first …

The sponsor of a new sentencing guidelines bill says its purpose is to keep Texas jails from acting as �debtor�s prisons.� (Wikimedia Commons)

Texas Bill Provides Alternatives to Jail for Inability to Pay Fines

AUSTIN, Texas – A measure passed by the Texas Legislature is designed to prevent people convicted of low-level crimes from being sent to jail …

Opponents object that the Texas �show me your papers� law would allow police to question anyone they stop for traffic violations about their immigration status. (fstop123/GettyImages)

Battle Over Sanctuary City Ban Moves from TX Capitol to the Courts

AUSTIN, Texas - The ink was barely dry on Gov. Greg Abbott's signature on Senate Bill 4, the Texas Sanctuary Cities bill, when the battle over it …

People on death row in Texas spend up to 23 hours a day in solitary confinement. A new report calls that torture and a violation of human rights. (Solitary Watch)

Study: Solitary Confinement on Texas Death Row is Torture

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - The Texas prison system's policy of housing all people on death row in solitary confinement is a form of torture and a violation …

A bill pending before the Texas Legislature would send 17-year-old offenders through the juvenile-justice system rather the adult criminal-justice system. (Popov/iStockphoto)

Bill Would Put 17-Year-Olds in Texas Juvenile System

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas is one of only a handful of states that still prosecutes 17-year-olds as adults in its criminal justice system, but state …

Battle Over Sanctuary Cities Heats Up in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas - The fight over sanctuary cities in Texas has become a high-profile political battle between a county sheriff in Austin and Gov…

Since voter-introduced ballot initiatives aren't allowed in Texas, advocates for legalizing recreational marijuana use say it would have to happen in the Legislature. (iStockphoto)

Texas Faces Major Hurdles to Legal Marijuana Use

AUSTIN, Texas – While a number of states approved new laws legalizing marijuana this week, many Texans are asking when the state might change …

States pay on average about $90,000 a year for every youth in a juvenile facility. (carroteater/iStockphoto)

Report: Texas, Other States Should Close Youth Prisons

AUSTIN, Texas – Children should not be kept behind bars, according to a new report that examines the ineffectiveness of youth prisons in Texas …

The AVOICE hotline provides legal help in Texas for victims of domestic abuse and other violent crimes. (Highwaystarz/iStockphoto)

Hotline Assists Texas Crime Victims with Legal Needs

AUSTIN, Texas -- Victims of violent crime in Texas, particularly victims of domestic abuse, have a strong advocate to help them with legal issues …

A federal judge has ordered ICE officials to stop requesting local jails to detain some prisoners set for release to determine their immigration status. (SAKDAWUT12/iStockphoto)

Federal Judge Bans ICE Detainers on Immigrants

AUSTIN, Texas -- A federal judge has ordered U.S. immigration officials to stop requesting that local law enforcement detain certain people without a …

AARP Texas is helping older people avoid becoming victims of financial abuse by family members or others close to them. (Wikimedia Commons)

AARP Texas Works to Stop Financial Abuse of Elders

AUSTIN, Texas – Becoming older often means needing help from others, but sometimes that help can turn to harm when someone close steals from …

The Karnes County Immigration Detention Center in South Texas is one of dozens around the country operated by private, for-profit corporations. (DHS photo)

DHS to Review Use of For-Profit Detention for Immigrants

AUSTIN, Texas - The federal Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that it will review its policy of detaining undocumented immigrants in …

Rights groups in Dallas want to keep the focus on ending police violence against blacks. (Slabbers/iStockphoto)

Obama to Speak in Dallas at Slain Officers' Memorial

DALLAS – Dallas begins the healing process today following the shooting deaths of five police officers by a lone sniper during a Black Lives Mat…

New research shows thousands of mothers across the country have been acting as advocates for their children in forcing changes in the juvenile justice system. (iStockphoto)

Mothers Driving Change in Juvenile Justice System

AUSTIN, Texas - As thousands of youths enter the Texas juvenile-justice system each year, a new report says thousands of mothers will face the pain …

An estimated 477,000 children in Texas, and 5.1 million nationwide, spend at least part of their childhood with a parent who is incarcerated. (djsash001/iStockphoto)

Texas Kids Often ‘Share Sentence’ with Incarcerated Parent

AUSTIN, Texas - More than 5 million children in the United States, including almost a half-million in Texas, have experienced separation from a …

The Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault hotline is open in Texas to help people with legal issues that might result from a sexual assault. (southernfried/morguefile)

Texas Legal Hotline Opens for Sexual Assault Survivors

AUSTIN, Texas - Survivors of sexual assault in Texas now have access to a hotline to help them deal with the legal issues they may encounter …

The number of exonerations continues to rise as more counties dedicate resources to preventing and correcting false convictions. (Peter Szustka/freeimages)<br />

Study Shows Record Number of Exonerations in 2015

HOUSTON - Across the nation, 149 people in prison were released last year because their convictions were overturned. That's a record number of …

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TX: Criminal Justice