Five inmates have died in the Harris County Jail so far in 2016. One recent death, due to head trauma, occurred as the inmate was being processed in a holding cell. The incident sparked an inquiry from the U.S. Justice Department, amid recently announced criminal justice reform efforts in Harris County aimed at keeping people out of the jail system.
On this edition of Houston Matters, Edel Howlin talks with Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman and State Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston, who share very different views of what’s happening in the Harris County Jail.
Also this hour:
Discussing Houston’s Water Quality and Supply
The local think tank Center for Houston’s Future is devoting its Summer Salon series this year to issues related to water, from recent flooding and hurricane protection to the first topic of the series of breakfasts held at the Junior League of Houston: the region’s water quality and supply. Edel Howlin moderated a discussion with Amanda Brock, CEO of Water Standard, a Houston-based global water treatment company that specializes in desalinization, Houston Advance Research Center Vice President and COO Lisa Gonzalez, and Jeff Taebel, director of community and environmental planning at the Houston-Galveston Area Council and an expert on regional sustainability issues. We hear some highlights.
Redbud Gallery Features Refugee Photo Exhibit
Houston photographer Marti Corn has a new exhibit called Out of Darkness, for which she interviewed and photographed members of Houston’s refugee community. She tells Michael Hagerty why she wanted to present their stories.
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