What We're Reading
News that caught our attention or cited the Texas Justice Initiative from across the Lone Star State and beyond.
FBI launches 2 investigations into Harris County Jail in-custody deaths
Published on February 14, 2023The Houston Chronicle reports on the FBI's announcement that it "has open investigations into allegations of federal civil rights violations surrounding the deaths of Jaquaree Simmons and Jacoby Pillow in the Harris County Jail. These investigations will be fair, thorough, and impartial, and will proceed independently of any state investigations involving incidents at the jail. To preserve the integrity and capabilities of the investigations, no details of the ongoing process will be publicly shared."
Harris County Jail population, deaths swell in 2022
Published on January 30, 2023Community Impact reporter Rachel Carlton concluded that the 27 people who died in Harris County in the custody of the sheriff's office in 2022 was "the highest number since 23 deaths in 2006," according to TJI's data, which reflects reports agencies file with the state.
As fatal police shootings increase, more go unreported
Published on December 6, 2022Reporters at The Washington Post have found — based on their Fatal Force database — that, contrary to what the FBI's database indicates, fatal police shootings are on the rise.
Harris County Jail just recorded its most in-custody deaths in 20 years
Published on November 25, 2022Kennedy Sessions reports that the 27 individuals who have died while in the custody of the Harris County Jail this year represent the largest number of deaths since 2006, citing TJI's data.
Provision of Air Conditioning and Heat-Related Mortality in Texas Prisons
Published on November 2, 2022A JAMA Network report on deaths in Texas prisons during warm months from 2001 to 2019 found, "approximately, 13% of deaths in Texas prisons during warm months between 2001 and 2019 may be attributable to extreme heat days."