Lead Article
National & State Media Comes to TJP About Winter Storm
Krish Gundu, executive director, spoke to reporters and writers from all over the nation during the winter storm emergency in February. The Washington Post quoted the calls Texas Jail Project recorded from people in Galveston, Smith, Polk, Victoria and Bowie counties. Incarcerated people, including many who have not been convicted of a crime, reported to the nonprofit that jails lacked blankets and left inmates in freezing conditions NBC news spoke on the phone to a Texas Jail Project contact in the Victoria County Jail and quoted Gundu addressing how our county jails failed to depopulate at the beginning of the pandemic.
Featured Articles
Why is it important to differentiate between county jails & state prisons?
You’re watching the news, and the reporter states, “William Larcenous will be spending the rest of his life in jail.” Or a professor describes Mary Doe languishing in prison, awaiting trial. But neither is true—because jails and prisons are very different kinds of facilities and the people in them are there for different reasons. Using the word “jail” correctly is especially important for public awareness that the majority of people being held in their local jails are pretrial—not yet convicted.
Leadership transitions at TJP!
Co-founder Krish Gundu transitioned into the role of executive director this past summer, and Dalila Reynoso has joined us as community advocate and organizer! Krish Gundu has been a part of Texas Jail Project since co-founding it with three other women in 2006, and Dalila Reynoso, who has extensive experience advocating for immigrant rights in Smith County, Texas, is now working in all areas of justice advocacy in that part of Texas. Longtime director Diana Claitor is continuing to work at TJP as Communications Director.
How is Texas Jail Project helping during the COVID-19 crisis?
WE LISTEN AND CONNECT …
Families with resources and contacts: People in Dallas, Houston, Tyler, Victoria, San Antonio, Texarkana, and other towns are desperate for information about how county jails are protecting their loved ones from the virus. Remember, no visitors are allowed now since COVID-19! Also, no chaplains or educators or volunteers.
Families Speak Out
Smith Co Jail Prisoners’ Thank-You Note Please notice how this handwritten thank you note on the next page says it comes from “PEOPLE who are inmates. “Hello Mrs. Dalila Reynoso: You make a difference in the lives of people who are inmates at Smith County Jail…..
In The News
Central Texas Jails: Full Up at the Worst Possible Time Instead of finding ways to lower populations in their county jails, central Texas judicial systems and district attorneys appear to be frozen, resulting in packed jails. In this story from Waco’s KWTX news, TJP’s communications director speaks about some of the issues involved—and how dangerous it is for prisoners held pretrial during the spread of a highly contagious disease.
Habeas Corpus
If your loved one was found incompetent to stand trial … There is a legal filing to make sure a person found incompetent is hospitalized or removed from the jail. If your loved one has been found incompetent to stand trial due to mental disability but has continued to be held in jail without treatment, the person’s lawyer can file a Writ of Habeas Corpus with the court that requires the county to provide him/her with appropriate medical care—in other words, send them to a hospital. Once the court grants the Writ, the Sheriff must comply. Go to next page for the Writ, which you can download.
Jailhouse Stories
Voices of Pretrial Detention in Texas Jailhousestories.org lets people across Texas describe, in their own words, the often-devastating impact of incarceration in local jails. The contributors come from some 34 Texas counties, revealing issues in both urban and rural facilities, with an emphasis on small to medium-sized jails. This collection of stories from families and individuals across Texas was possible by a generous grant from Public Welfare Foundation.
