Houston Matters
Are deaths in the Harris County Jail isolated incidents or part of a troubling trend?
Posted on · The sixth death of the year in the jail once again raises questions about overcrowding and its impact.
Tag: jail
Criminal Justice
County officials approve new positions, longevity pay at Harris County Jail to increase staff retention
Posted on · Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said about one-third of detention officers at the Harris County Jail leave the job every year due to low hourly pay and burnout.
Criminal Justice
2 people die at Harris County Jail, marking highest number of deaths in the past decade
Posted on · The jail has seen at least 21 deaths this year as the facility's population continues to hover around 10,000 people -- dangerously close to the facility's total capacity.
Criminal Justice
Lawsuits and protests: Texas county jails are on the brink during the pandemic
Posted on · After 18 months of a pandemic, high jail populations, infections and deserting staff, county jailers say the pandemic is brining longtime structural issues at county detention to light.
Coronavirus
Gov. Greg Abbott Has Lifted Almost All Texas Pandemic Restrictions. But Not The One Limiting Jail Releases
Posted on · As he was fighting for the Legislature to change state bail laws, the governor continued his emergency order to restrict no-cost jail releases during the pandemic. At least several Texas courts have deemed the order unconstitutional.
Election 2020
Thousands Of Texans Can’t Vote Because They’re On Parole Or Probation
Posted on · Lori Mellinger is voting for the first time in 10 years. She was just one of the thousands of Texans every year whose voting rights are taken away because of being on parole or probation.
Criminal Justice
People Inside Texas Jails Detail Conditions Making It Hard To Fight COVID-19
Posted on · Recordings and letters provided to Houston Public Media provide a glimpse into the jails as COVID-19 continues to spread across Texas.
Criminal Justice
Conversations Inside Harris County Jail Reveal Difficulty Of Stopping COVID-19 Spread
Posted on · Health professionals are afraid of an outbreak in Harris County Jail spreading into the community. Phone calls with inmates inside the jail underscore that concern.
News
Hidalgo Recuses Herself From Two Lawsuits Involving Harris County Jail
Posted on · The new county judge also says she will not accept “political contributions” from individuals or companies that currently do or seek to do business with the county.
Houston Matters
Jail Sanitation Standards, And The XFL In Houston: The Good, Bad, And Ugly Of The Week’s News
Posted on · The Houston Matters panel of non-experts breaks down stories from the week’s news and decides if they’re good, bad, or ugly.
News
New Suicide Hotline Addresses Mental Health Needs at Harris County Jail
Posted on · During the first week the hotline was in operation, inmates at the jail made 169 calls.
News
Harris County Jail Inmate Dies in Solitary Confinement
Posted on · The Texas Rangers are investigating the death
News
US Says Immigrant Dies Of ‘Apparent Suicide’ In Texas Jail
Posted on · Authorities have confirmed a Honduran man who entered the U.S. illegally killed himself in a Texas jail
News
Condemned Texas Inmate Accepts Plea Deal For Life Sentences
Posted on · Michael Wayne Norris was convicted for the November 1986 shooting deaths of 38-year-old Georgia Rollins and her son, Keith
Texas
East Texas Jail Inmate Flees, Believed Headed To Dallas
Posted on · Inmate at Harrison County jail disappears from work detail