
Lead Article
Sadness, Beauty, and Essential Listening
What families teach us about stigma around the death of a loved one in county jail and the trauma inflicted by communities and law enforcement. By Diana Claitor
Featured Articles

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, 2020, our team has worked diligently (nearly non-stop) to provide community support for the tens of thousands of people incarcerated in TX county jails. We received over 2,500 phone calls and over 1,000 emails requesting help, conducted over 1500 phone interviews and processed over 2,200 pieces of mail.

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.

Co-founder Krish Gundu transitioned into the role of executive director in 2020, and Dalila Reynoso 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 continues to work at TJP as Communications Director.
Families Speak Out

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

2021 was an unprecedented year for Texas communities impacted by county jail incarceration. Here’s a look at all the news articles which featured stories, interviews, op-eds and essays from Texas Jail Project’s community members both inside and outside county jails, and our team. Click here to see the full list:
Habeas Corpus

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

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.