Moises Mendoza to Be Third Person Killed by State of Texas This Year
“We oppose this execution as we do every execution. Capital punishment is an act of state sanctioned violence that violates the sacred dignity of every human life.”
Criminal Justice
Bringing Home the Story of Ben Spencer
An innocent Texan was caught for more than three decades in a web of lies and injustice.
The Wages of Inequality—Behind Bars
Because the state refuses to pay us for our labor, incarcerated women rely on money from the outside to get by.
Taking Prison to Court: Fighting for the Right to Sleep
Michael Garrett sued the Texas Department of Criminal Justice more than a decade ago, and he’s working from inside to keep the case alive.
Editor’s Letter: Introducing Our July/August Issue
A note from the interim editor-in-chief
Shaping the Narrative: Nate Blakeslee Discusses a Pivotal Moment in Observer History
Blakeslee sought to elevate the Texas Observer’s writing while righting wrongs in Tulia and throughout the state.
Powerful Words from Texans Trapped in Solitary Confinement
Texas disappears more people in long-term solitary cells than all other states and the federal system combined.
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An Unwinnable Drug War
Threats to deploy U.S. troops to Mexico ignore an appalling reality that has already been a disaster for both nations.
Some Texas Prisoners Allowed Only Four Hours of Sleep a Night, Lawsuit Says
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a man incarcerated at the Estelle Unit who has been suing over his sleep schedule for a decade.