Texas Prisons Ban Greeting Cards, Expand Drug-Sniffing Dog Searches to Visitors
Families of prisoners and civil rights groups call the new policies arbitrary, punitive, and isolating for people behind bars.
Michael Barajas
Michael Barajas is a staff writer covering civil rights for the Texas Observer. Before joining the Observer, he was editor of the San Antonio Current and managing editor of the Houston Press. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.
Articles by Michael Barajas
1,500 Nueces County Voters Were Wrongly Sent Letters Demanding Proof of ID
A big mistake in the lead up to primary voting underscores the anxiety around misinformation on elections and barriers to voting.
Alec Karakatsanis on the ‘Usual Cruelty’ of the Criminal Justice System
In his book, Karakatsanis argues that lawyers and judges have become numb to the cruelties of the criminal justice system—and ultimately stand in the way of changing it.
Reform Candidates are Trying to Change the Definition of a ‘Progressive Prosecutor’ in Texas
Kim Ogg’s primary challenge for Harris County District Attorney is one of several prosecutor races in Texas that could redefine the bounds of criminal justice reform in the state.
Jail Deaths in Bexar County Highlight ‘Callous’ Care in Custody
A string of in-custody deaths over the past year point to inadequate treatment for inmates with serious medical conditions.
The Prison Inside Prison
Texas has banished hundreds of prisoners to more than a decade of solitary confinement. Many of these prisoners aren’t sure how—or, in some cases, if—they will ever get out.
Hemp Snafu Offers Texas Cities a Way to Decriminalize Marijuana
Austin leaders will consider a proposal to effectively end enforcement of misdemeanor pot possession.
5 Texas Criminal Justice Stories to Watch in 2020
“Progressive” prosecutors, bail reforms, and increased calls for accountability will all likely be in the news next year.
In Dallas, Churches Break the Law to Shelter Homeless People on Freezing Nights
A city ordinance prevents churches and virtually anyone else from acting as emergency shelters, but some are offering safe haven anyway.
Federal Report Flags High Rates of Sexual Abuse in Texas Juvenile Lockups
In three Texas youth prisons, at least one in seven juveniles says they’ve been sexually victimized, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Justice.