by Brandi Grissom—January 28, 2010
http://www.texastribune.org/blogs/post/2010/jan/28/tribblog-family-value...

Local elected officials and civil rights groups urged legislators at a committee hearing today to implement more programs for women and girls in Texas prisons and jails.Read more

Jail Detainees Took Their Lives in Record Numbers in 2009
by Greg Harman http://www.sacurrent.com/news/default.asp 1/20/10Read more

Day 1: 11/29/09
Today I turned myself into Dallas County for probation violation. Here’s my plan: To write to this journal every day if possible. And the scary part? To be truthfully honest with myself and with the journal. Even now my mind is backtracking on the honest part; the repercussion, the feelings it will hurt, etc. Read more

Many of the readers from TJP have been following Carla's story and several have written to her. As a chaplain, I visited her weekly for two years in Cameron County Jail and I became her friend. Since I talk to her every week since she has been transferred, I wanted to give you an update. Carla has now been in jail for four years. She was taken to court nearly 30 times before her trial for murder only to be returned to her cell to wait again. She was found 'not guilty'.Read more

Most Texans do not realize that an average of 49% of the people held in a county lockup are pre-trial—not yet convicted. The system moves exceedingly slow unless you have money or connections. Now imagine what happens to those with a serious medical problem, like asthma or a heart condition.Read more

We know that there are many reasons for problems in a county jail, and
we make this award in the spirit of tough love. It is a shout out to local folk
and to the media as well as the staff and sheriff, asking them to take a
second look at the way inmates are treated while held in the local jail—and
to then make positive changes!

Nominate a LOCAL JAIL, not a state prison, not a state jail. Texas has
250 county jails holding more than 70,000 people. Email us:
diane@texasjailproject.org with your nomination for the Texas Hellhole Award,Read more

"Heaven and Hell in Cameron County Jail" by TJP director Diana Claitor, is now online:
http://www.texasobserver.org/features/heaven-and-hell-in-cameron-county-...

This feature story in the Texas Observer explores events in Brownsville since chaplain Gail Hanson spoke out about dismal conditions in the women's jail, the sheriff banned her from entering the jail, the community became involved and a federal lawsuit was filed.

Hard copies of the Texas Observer are available at most bookstores in Texas and further abroad as well.
*November 13th issue with Texas on the front

For those who don't know, we proposed two laws during the 81st legislature...and through hard work and an awesome alliance, we got them passed and the Governor signed them. So, as of September 1, these bills are now law:Read more

• HB 3653: requires all county and state facilities to STOP SHACKLING women inmates during labor and delivery;
• HB 3654: changed Jail Standards by now requiring county jails to have a MEDICAL CARE plan for pregnant women and also requires them to COUNT the number of pregnant women they are holding.

Read almost any part of this report and then please tell me how Harris County allowed things to get this bad. They have 9,400 people in this place and scores are dying from maltreatment and neglect, not to mention the chokeholds and hogtying. And if you want to see a first person account, read Sarah's in our Inmate Stories section: "Harris County Jail: Hell on Earth, 2009."
When is the Department of Justice going to step up and file suit on Harris County?Read more

I would like you and/or your group to know about this important hearing and to please consider joining me at the Court of Criminal Appeals, October 21 (see details below). All of us who are concerned about civil rights and the rights of pregnant women in particular should be there.

Texas Jail Project is one of 52 groups, experts and advocates, from Texas and the U.S., that joined in signing the amicus brief for Amber Lovill's case.

This email is from our friends and allies at the National Advocates for Pregnant Women.Read more