Our Mission
TJP formed to improve conditions for incarcerated women and men by publicizing the widespread abuse and neglect in the 258 county facilities in Texas.
Inspired by the first hand account of Diane Wilson, an activist incarcerated in the Harris and Victoria County Jails in 2005 and 2006, TJP asks that state and county authorities treat our loved ones and friends on the inside with respect. After all, they are supposed to be incarcerated, not abused or subjected to dangerous or inhumane conditions.
The members of TJP will facilitate change by communicating to sheriffs, county commissioners and the general public the ways that inhumane conditions, lack of treatment and overly long pretrial detention devastate the lives and mental health of men and women. TJP will enlist the media and religious and secular groups in order to get our jails to meet the standards put forth by the American Correctional Association (ACA).
TJP plans to organize demonstrations and speak out at the quarterly meetings of the Texas Commission for Jail Standards in Austin as well as in the county seats where jails are known to be:
- out of compliance with state standards or city government codes
- in violation of the Texas Fair Defense Act
- treating women inmates unfairly and inhumanely.
Upon these occasions, TJP members will present the Slammer, a special award for “the worst jail in the great state of Texas,” at which time members will detail the reasons why this particular facility merits that distinction.
Other plans include:
- a listening project through email and personal interviews, that allows ex-offenders, their families and friends to relay stories and information about the women’s sections of all county jails
- monitoring the Texas Commission on Jail Standards meetings and their reports while giving them feedback about the reality of the county jails today
- working with other advocacy groups and with the legislature to ensure that indigent women get adequate advice and legal counsel
- lobbying local and state officials to improve pay and training for jail staff.
Director: Diana Claitor
Diana@texasjailproject.org
