Tag Archives: private prisons
Lawyers Seek to Reform ‘Ethical Minefield’ of Public Defender’s Office Controlled by Texas Prison System
Former public defenders say prison officials who had a hand in prosecuting their clients influenced and sometimes outright interfered with their defense work.
Last week, David O’Neil stood before the Texas Board of Criminal Justice with an awkward request: He asked nine governor-appointed board members to relinquish...Read More
Mother Jones’ Shane Bauer Wins 2017 MOLLY National Journalism Prize
One judge said, “This isn’t a story. It’s a saga — tough, graphic reporting that shows how privately operated prisons function.”
One judge said, “This isn’t a story. It’s a saga — tough, graphic reporting that shows how privately operated prisons function.”...Read More
Legislature Plans to Close Four Correctional Facilities. Will They Become Immigrant Detention Centers?
Many see the closures as a step in the right direction, but some advocates worry what the empty prisons could mean for immigrant detention.
Lawmakers, agency heads and policy advocates alike see this as a “step in the right direction,” but some worry what empty prisons could mean for immigrant d...Read More
Bill to License ‘Baby Jails’ as Child Care Facilities Clears First Legislative Hurdle
Senate Bill 1018 would allow prison firms to skip all the burdensome regulations that other child care facilities must deal with.
The private prison companies that run detention centers for immigrant kids and their mothers have a problem: They can’t legally hold families for an extended ...Read More
State of Texas: The Private Prison Bubble Bursts
Federal agencies have said they'll "phase out" some private prison contracts and "review" others. Here's how the numbers shake out in prison-thick Texas....Read More
World’s Largest For-Profit Prison Blasted in Federal Audit
The world’s largest for-profit prison has minimal oversight, overcharged the federal government by $2.1 million, arbitrarily punishes protesting inmates and s...Read More
ICE Director to U.S. Rep. Culberson: We Can’t Just Put People in Detention for ‘the Heck of it’
In a heated discussion with ICE Director Paula Saldaña, Houston Congressman John Culberson wondered why the U.S. lets so many immigrant detention beds go empty...Read More
Goodbye to Tent City
After a riot destroys a for-profit prison, Willacy County ponders its economic future.
As Willacy County faces a gaping hole in its budget, $128 million in debt still owed on Tent City, and the loss of its largest employer, I’d come to find out ...Read More
A Careless Solution
Terrell State Hospital needs help, badly. So why is Texas privatizing the psychiatric facility—and picking a notorious company to run it?
Terrell State Hospital needs help, badly. So why is Texas privatizing the psychiatric facility—and picking a notorious company to run it?...Read More