Criminal Justice
Ex-Missouri City officer Robert Fratta to be executed Tuesday in murder-for-hire plot
Posted on · Fratta was convicted of killing his wife, Farah. She was found shot twice in the head after she filed for divorce.
Tag: Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Houston Matters
What Artemis I taught us (Dec. 12, 2022)
Posted on · On Monday's show: NASA's Artemis I mission returned to Earth on Sunday. We discuss how the mission went and what was learned from it. And we examine how a lack of proper staffing and security contributed to a deadly Texas prison escape.
Criminal Justice
New study details how extreme heat is affecting Texas prisons
Posted on · The research from Texas A&M University shows how many incarcerated individuals and staff are suffering from heat-related illnesses and death.
Criminal Justice
A prison bus collided with a truck in Conroe hours after Texas suspended inmate transportation
Posted on · Conroe police said the van was transporting an inmate and three guards, all of whom were hurt in the collision.
The Marshall Project
Burned to Death in a Prison Cell
Posted on · After years of warnings about broken fire alarms, two men have now died in blazes at Texas prisons.
Immigration
Gov. Abbott Orders South Texas Prison To Make Room For Undocumented Immigrants, TDCJ Says
Posted on · The Texas Department of Criminal Justice began moving incarcerated people from the Dolph Briscoe Unit in Dilley on Wednesday as part of the governor's Operation Lone Star initiative, announced in March.
Criminal Justice
Bills To Combat Sweltering Prison Conditions Back In Texas Legislature Despite Past Legal Battle
Posted on · The House Committee on Corrections is considering several bills that would address the temperature issues in these facilities by installing climate-control systems, air-conditioning and modernized infrastructure.
Weather
Update: Texas Sees First Laura-Related Deaths; Galveston Evacuees Set To Return From Austin
Posted on · Thousands of residents along the Gulf Coast evacuated inland, and Houston-area leaders urged the region to prepare for severe winds, as Hurricane Laura approached landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border.
Houston Matters
Special Edition: Criminal Justice Reporter Keri Blakinger and TDCJ’s Jeremy Desel
Posted on · We delve into how COVID-19 is affecting the Texas prison population.
Coronavirus
Coronavirus In Greater Houston: ‘Just Because You Can Open Doesn’t Mean You Should,’ Hidalgo Tells Businesses
Posted on · As Houston enters its eighth week dealing with the coronavirus, Houston Public Media provides more live updates.
News
Texas Needs To Do More To Limit Solitary Confinement, Civil Rights Group Says
Posted on · The Texas Civil Rights Project says thousands are currently held in isolation with little recourse to challenge their condition.
Houston Matters
Comedian Ali Siddiq Spent Six Years In Prison And My Stepdad Was His Guard
Posted on · Houston Matters producer Michael Hagerty talks with Siddiq about the relationship between prisoners and guards.
News
As Summer Temperatures Climb, Most Texas Prisons Aren’t Air-Conditioned
Posted on · Out of 104 Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities, 75 don’t have air-conditioned beds.
News
Law Enforcement Initiative Nets 156 Parole Violators In Houston Region
Posted on · Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo says the plan is to conduct quarterly special operations focusing on felons who have violated the terms of their parole.
News
Multi Agency Operation Nets Arrest Of 164 Parolees In Harris And Surrounding Counties
Posted on · HPD Chief Art Acevedo says it’s a first step based on regional cooperation.