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Criminal Justice

The Distance Between Dying and Death

Jamaal Howard is set to die this Wednesday, the first scheduled U.S. execution after one was badly botched in Tennessee. As his spiritual advisor, I'll be in the room with him.

by Jeff Hood

Keep Reading

A Blue Wave Could Sweep Greg Abbott’s Handpicked Houston Judges Out of Office

by Michelle Pitcher

Texas Is Trying to Punish Its Way Out of a Prison Overdose Crisis

by Michelle Pitcher

‘Suicide by Cop’: How a Poorly Defined Term Shifts Accountability for Lost Lives

by Michelle Pitcher

Feb 17, 2026

The ‘Antifa Scare’ Goes on Trial in North Texas

As nine of the "Prairieland 19" face their days in court, the broader constitutional rights of left-wing activists may hang in the balance.

by Steven Monacelli

Jan 22, 2026

Uvalde Trial Raises Question of Whether Police Stop School Shootings

Since Columbine, expectations for cops have been clear. But reality often hasn’t measured up.

by Michelle Pitcher

Jan 20, 2026

‘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.

by Michelle Pitcher

Jan 20, 2026

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.

by Michelle Pitcher

Dec 17, 2025

Under Operation Lone Star, Texas State Police More than Doubled Their Drone Fleet

The Department of Public Safety has acquired an army of unmanned aerial vehicles—nearly as large as the U.S. Border Patrol's.

by Francesca D’Annunzio

Nov 24, 2025

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.

by Michelle Pitcher

A Black man in a suit and tie is comforted by his lawyer, a Black woman also in formal dress, as the two stand in a courtroom. Richard Miles looks overcome with emotion. Nov 19, 2025

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.

by Michelle Pitcher

Nov 04, 2025

Texas Turns Its Sprawling State Police Force Into Immigration Agents for Trump

The notorious 287(g) task force program has finally reached DPS, raising fears of widespread racial profiling.

by Francesca D’Annunzio

Oct 29, 2025

Bail Crackdown on Ballot Ignores Mental Health Crisis, Advocates Say

"The jail system is already the largest warehouse of people with mental illness in the state of Texas."

by Edward Brown

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