Michael Barajas
Trump’s Favorite Texas Sheriff Faces Re-Election Amid a Spike in Deaths at His Jail
Conservative media have turned Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn into a right-wing celebrity despite a long list of scandals on his watch.
On May 17, a pregnant woman delivered a baby alone and locked inside her cell at the Tarrant County jail. After the Fort Worth Star-Telegram broke the story later that month, Sheriff Bill Waybourn, who manages the facility, explained in … Read More
Researcher Howard Henderson on Reimagining Policing in the U.S.
Henderson says policing in the U.S. perpetuates systems of inequality that mirror the nation’s history of colonialism.
The uprising sparked by the police killing of George Floyd on May 25 has pushed the debate around public safety into territory that would have seemed unthinkable in Texas just months ago. Howard Henderson, director of the Center for Justice … Read More
A Monumental Undertaking
Protests to remove racist statues and iconography are part of a larger effort to reframe Texas history.
A Monumental Undertaking Protests to remove racist statues and iconography are part of a larger effort to reframe Texas history. By Michael Barajas August 11, 2020 The party Demetria McFarland’s family throws every Juneteenth is so big they usually … Read More
Running from the Storm
Hurricane Laura underscores the threat and disruption of storm seasons super-charged by climate change.
Last week, as Nathaniel Smith and his daughter boarded a school bus to drive out of the path of Hurricane Laura, he thought of the last time a storm forced them to flee. Three years ago, Smith nervously called for … Read More
When Asthma in Jail Becomes a Death Sentence
Deaths like Savion Hall’s are tragically common in Texas jails. What’s unusual are the criminal charges against the people responsible for treating him.
Growing up, Matt Santana and Savion Hall were inseparable. The two met in middle school while hanging out with mutual friends in Midland, a West Texas oil town. After realizing they lived on the same block, Hall, a year younger … Read More
In Harris County, A Group is Working to Expand Voting Access in Jails
The lack of access for eligible voters in pretrial detention is part of a larger constellation of disenfranchisement for people whose lives intersect with the criminal legal system.
This story was published as a part of Voting Rights Day, a collaboration with the Guardian US. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or attend one of their events. Durrel Douglas says most of the people he met during … Read More
Reform vs. Rebuild: Defunding Law Enforcement in Texas
Years of activism and a legacy of police violence are fueling demands to reimagine public safety.
Reform vs. Rebuild: Defunding Law Enforcement in Texas Years of activism and a legacy of police violence are fueling demands to reimagine public safety. By Michael Barajas July 8, 2020 For Sara Mokuria, Father’s Day is an annual reminder of … Read More
COVID-19 Has Delayed Programs That Texas Prisoners Need to Get Out
People approved for parole in the Texas prison system already waited months to start programs required for their release. Coronavirus is making some wait even longer.
Darcy Vargas says it felt like an early Christmas present when her son Gerald made parole in early December after serving more than a year in the Texas prison system for a drug charge. Once he completed a six month … Read More
Why Protesters In Austin Are Chanting ‘Justice for Mike Ramos’
The protests sweeping Texas cities are a stark reminder of the pain caused by police violence.
Why Protesters In Austin Are Chanting ‘Justice for Mike Ramos’ The protests sweeping Texas cities are a stark reminder of the pain caused by police violence. By Michael Barajas June 5, 2020 Red rose bushes grace the lawn outside the … Read More