‘Black Bird Redemption Song’: A Fort Worth Artist’s Work on Confinement, Freedom, and Fred Rouse
An exhibition at the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and Museum in Austin runs through January 25.
Michelle Pitcher
Michelle Pitcher is a staff writer at the Texas Observer covering criminal justice. She received her master’s in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley and was part of the team at The Marshall Project that won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. Her reporting has been featured on NPR, FiveThirtyEight, The Dallas Morning News, and more. Michelle was born and raised in Dallas and is now based in Austin.
Articles by Michelle Pitcher
In Texas State Jails, a Rising Death Toll and a Broken Promise
Once billed as rehabilitative alternatives to prisons, these facilities are the sites of fatal overdoses—like that which ended the life of a Texan named Jackie Wiley.
Pam Perillo’s Sisterhood of the Condemned
She's a death row survivor, but she doesn't think she's really any different from her friends who are still set to die.
New Report Highlights the ‘Fatal Flaws’ Behind Wrongful Capital Convictions
The ACLU found official misconduct, perjury, and predominantly white juries were contributing factors in at least 200 death sentence exonerations.
Pro-Life, Anti-Death Penalty
Nan Tolson is the face of the conservative movement against capital punishment in Texas.
A Night at the Screamo Bookstore
An Austin literary shop has branched out into loud concerts, cementing a place in the city’s DIY music scene.
‘I Got a Lot of People Believing in Me’: Robert Roberson Stares Down Death, Again
Set to be the first U.S. person executed based on the controversial “Shaken Baby Syndrome” diagnosis, Roberson told the Observer last week he hopes his story will mean something.
The Health Penalty
At a North Texas prison, one nurse practitioner racked up more than 20 federal lawsuits over alleged medical mistreatment. The patients’ stories illuminate a healthcare system that often seems like another form of punishment.
Police ‘Secrecy Grab’ Dies After Senate Refuses Uvalde Compromise
"We’re hopeful that it means it doesn’t come back again, and that we can preserve some level of transparency for all Texans."
Texas Lawmakers Push ‘Massive Secrecy Grab’ to Shield Police Files
As public attention has shifted away from policing reform, legislators attempt to shove information into the dark.