Books
January 28, 2021
Why Is the Death Penalty on the Decline in Texas?
Maurice Chammah’s “Let the Lord Sort Them” is a searing history of the rise and fall of capital punishment.
Criminal Justice
News & Politics
November 18, 2020
A Bad Cop’s Best Friend?
One morning in late January 2019, Rhogena Nicholas texted a prayer to her mother, Jo Ann Nicholas, just as she did every day. A widow in her eighties, Jo Ann could no longer make the four-hour drive from Natchitoches, Louisiana, to visit her daughter and her son-in-law, Dennis Tuttle, at
Film & TV
November 6, 2020
Did Melissa Lucio, the First Hispanic Woman on Death Row in Texas, Kill Her Daughter? An Uneven New Documentary Raises More Questions Than Answers.
‘The State of Texas vs. Melissa’ creates empathy for Lucio, but the film lacks a clear and balanced exposition of the deeply troubling facts of the case.
Books
October 28, 2020
This Lawyer Works to Free Incarcerated Victims of the War on Drugs. It All Started With Her Mom’s Arrest.
In a blistering memoir, attorney Brittany K. Barnett explores the traumatic aftermath of the war on drugs.
Politics & Policy
October 22, 2020
Who Is Austin’s Citizen Police Academy Meant to Serve?
Graduates say the 14-week program illuminates challenges that cops face, but glosses over issues of brutality and racism. Records show the alumni association enlists members as public advocates for APD.
True Crime
October 21, 2020
“It’s the Most Outrageous Thing I’ve Ever Seen. It Makes No Sense.”
DNA evidence proved Lydell Grant's innocence. So why won't the state’s highest criminal court exonerate him?
Politics & Policy
October 6, 2020
Jonathan Price Was Wolfe City’s Hometown Hero. On Saturday, He Was Killed by Police.
His friends, both Black and white, confront the reality of police brutality in their quiet hometown.
News & Politics
August 11, 2020
Faulty Cell Locks Are a Problem in Texas Prisons—Especially During COVID-19
After a riot at a prison in Dilley, corrections department employees confirm that many imprisoned across the state are able to “pop out" of their cells.
Politics & Policy
July 22, 2020
After the Protests: Four Perspectives on the State’s Criminal Justice System
While demonstrators marched in cities and towns across the country, a police union rep, an activist, a legislator, and an attorney sat down to discuss how to break the deadlock and bring about better policing.
News & Politics
July 16, 2020
“Black Austin Matters” Is an Artistic Challenge to the City
Activists say the city can’t yet claim that “Black Austin Matters,” given its record, and that’s why they painted the street installation.
Politics & Policy
July 16, 2020
“Your Butt Is Perfect”: Those Austin Police Department Thank-you Cards Are Even Stranger Than You Thought
An APD tweet went viral after internet sleuths theorized that the cards were a police stunt. We got ahold of documents to find the truth.
Politics & Policy
July 14, 2020
Facing a Tough Runoff Election, Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore Discusses Her Record on Race and Police Brutality
After running second in the Democratic primary to a progressive challenger, Moore argues that her critics haven’t done their homework.
Politics & Policy
July 13, 2020
How a New Jersey Divinity Student Helped Transform the Texas Criminal Justice System
Jim McCloskey, the godfather of the innocence movement, changed the way we think about crime and punishment.
Criminal Justice
July 7, 2020
‘Outcry’ Offers a Nuanced Look at a Wrongful Conviction in Central Texas
The five-part Showtime docu-series avoids the worst pitfalls of the true-crime genre, favoring character over sensationalism.
Health
July 2, 2020
When COVID-19 Hit the Smith County Jail, One Tyler Activist Became a Citizen Watchdog
Dalila Reynoso, who started a friendship with Sheriff Larry Smith at Whataburger, now monitors local jails to keep him accountable.
Texas History
June 25, 2020
“A Watershed Moment”: How Scholarship and Activism Finally Toppled a Texas Ranger Statue in Dallas
The removal of the statue is part of a larger reappraisal of the role of the Rangers in Texas history.
Politics & Policy
June 17, 2020
Remembering William S. Sessions (1930–2020), the San Antonian Who Ran the FBI During the Branch Davidian Standoff
From bringing down the “Duke of Duval” to becoming the first FBI director to be fired, Sessions was a lawman to his core.
News & Politics
June 10, 2020
Photo Gallery: Black Lives Matter Protests in Texas
Demonstrations and vigils took place all over the state—from major cities to small towns.
Politics & Policy
June 5, 2020
“There Are No Checks and Balances”: Two Texas Criminal Justice Experts on the Fight for Police Reform
Scott Henson and Chas Moore have been working for years to stop police brutality. They say that sweeping, systemic change is needed.
Politics & Policy
June 2, 2020
How San Marcos Went From ‘Zero Tolerance’ Policing to Requiring That Officers Release Low-Level Offenders
Despite opposition from the local police union, the city passed Texas's most expansive ‘cite-and-release’ policy.
News & Politics
June 1, 2020
‘How Can They Expect Peace When They Won’t Give Us Peace’: A Weekend of Demonstrations in Dallas Over Police Killings
Protesters took to the Dallas streets, joining nationwide demonstrations over the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
News & Politics
May 19, 2020
Domestic Violence Calls Spike in Texas Cities, While Falling in Rural Areas
"When you're in a rural community, it's difficult to receive services and be very discreet about it. … Those complexities are amplified at this time."
True Crime
May 11, 2020
Five Judges Say Rosa Jimenez Was Wrongly Convicted. So Why Is She Dying in Prison?
First came the sound of someone running hard on the breezeway outside, then a banging on the apartment door. Irene Vera opened it to see her neighbor, twenty-year-old Rosa Jimenez, holding a little boy who lay limp in her arms. “Help me! Help me!” Jimenez cried hysterically in Spanish. The
News & Politics
May 4, 2020
Prisons Are Coronavirus Hot Spots. Palestine’s Got Five of Them.
A COVID-19 outbreak in a maximum-security unit has created rifts between the local government and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The Stand Up Desk
March 18, 2020
From the Editor, April 2020: The Hunger to Know
Robert Draper, like the people he interviewed for this month's cover story, is driven by a need to understand the past.
News & Politics
March 2, 2020
No Glitter, No Glue . . . No Meth? Texas Bans Greeting Cards in Prison
Texas prison officials think they can curb contraband by banning greeting cards, but prisoners say the drugs come in through guards, not mail.
Politics & Policy
February 19, 2020
Criminal Justice Reform Moves Pretty Fast. Just Ask Harris County DA Kim Ogg.
Four years ago, Ogg won election by promising to reform the county’s justice system. Now she’s getting primaried by two of her former prosecutors, who say she hasn’t done enough.
Politics & Policy
January 22, 2020
Art Acevedo Can’t Say That, Can He?
Not long after criticizing Ted Cruz and John Cornyn for ignoring gun violence, the Houston police chief sat down to talk about his headline-making comments, why he’s a RINO, and the balance between criminal justice reform and public safety.
News & Politics
January 16, 2020
“Angel of Death” Nurse Pleads Guilty to a New Murder
Genene Jones, suspected for decades of killing multiple children, was sentenced to life after accepting responsibility for a second San Antonio death.
Politics & Policy
December 30, 2019
The Best Texas Monthly Longform of 2019
Settle in for a by-no-means comprehensive list of some of the most popular stories in our pages this year.
Criminal Justice
December 19, 2019
He’s One of the Best Young Prosecutors in Texas. He Also Could Get Kicked Out of the Country.
Pedro Villalobos handles felony cases in Travis County, but his own legal status could be in jeopardy.
Politics & Policy
December 9, 2019
Who Gets to Live and Die When the State Relies on False Testimony in Death Penalty Cases?
A.P. Merillat helped send at least 15 people to death row. On Wednesday, Travis Runnels will become the third this year to be executed, even though a former prison official calls Merillat’s testimony “bullshit.”
Politics & Policy
December 5, 2019
How Houston Is Leading the Way on Keeping Poor Defendants Out of Jail
In a landmark legal case, Harris County has agreed to release the vast majority of misdemeanor arrestees instead of locking them up. But reformers aren’t done yet.
The National Podcast of Texas
November 18, 2019
The West Memphis Three’s Jason Baldwin Fights for the “Hopelessly Innocent” After 18 Years in Prison
On this week’s National Podcast of Texas, the cofounder of Austin nonprofit Proclaim Justice on inequality in the justice system and the Rodney Reed saga.
News & Politics
November 15, 2019
Rodney Reed Will Not Be Executed on November 20
The case, which has attracted huge amounts of attention, will go back to the trial court.
News & Politics
November 13, 2019
Inside the Death Row Case That Has Everyone From Ted Cruz to Kim Kardashian Speaking Out
Rodney Reed has been on Texas’ death row for 21 years, but new evidence and witnesses have drawn national attention ahead of his upcoming execution date.
News & Politics
October 1, 2019
The Unusual Circumstances of Botham Jean’s Murder Made Amber Guyger’s Conviction Possible, But Not Inevitable
The straightforward circumstances of Jean's slaying proved too difficult for the jury to ignore.
Politics & Policy
October 1, 2019
If the ‘Castle Doctrine’ Can Justify Botham Jean’s Shooting, the Law Itself Is the Problem
What good is a law that promotes lawlessness?
Politics & Policy
September 9, 2019
The Texas Death Penalty Machine Has Become Increasingly Grotesque
There’s something dishonest in the state’s bureaucratic approach to killing its own citizens.
News & Politics
September 6, 2019
Convicted of Murder at Age 12, Edwin Debrow Finally Walks Free
He renounced his violent San Antonio childhood during 28 years behind bars. A new life and new love awaited him outside the prison gates.
Politics & Policy
September 4, 2019
The Governor Wants “Expedited Executions” For Mass Shooters. But Who Would That Deter?
Of the four major mass shooting suspects in Texas in recent years, the only one it would impact is the man who wants to die as soon as possible.
News & Politics
August 19, 2019
How the Unchecked Power of Judges Is Hurting Poor Texans
Can’t afford a lawyer? Don’t expect justice.
News & Politics
August 7, 2019
Texas Man Convicted For Fatal Car Crash Is Released
James Fulton reunites with his family, as victim Haile Beasley’s parents decry justice undone.
Politics & Policy
July 30, 2019
Here’s What Texas DAs Think of the New Hemp Law that Effectively Decriminalized Pot
We reached out to prosecutors for all 254 Texas counties to ask whether they will still prosecute marijuana cases.
True Crime
July 23, 2019
Crowdsourcing Justice
How does a man wrongly convicted of murder get released twenty years later? It helps to have a wife who loves you, a podcaster who believes in you, and an army of amateur sleuths who won’t stop digging for the truth.
News & Politics
June 24, 2019
Texas Man Who Got Ten Years in Prison For a Deadly Car Crash Gets a Second Chance
Justices grant James Fulton a new sentencing hearing: “Tragic consequences do not elevate ordinary negligence to criminal negligence.”
Politics & Policy
June 7, 2019
North Texas Cops Caught Being Racist Online
A non-profit compiled racist, sexist, and xenophobic social media posts from police in Dallas and Denison.
Politics & Policy
May 29, 2019
How Texas’s Powerful Police Union Went to War Against Criminal Justice Reform
In one of the worst legislative sessions for criminal justice reform in years, bipartisan legislation got caught between an ugly fight between the police lobby and prominent Democrats.
Politics & Policy
May 15, 2019
Inside the Story of How Democrats Killed a Law That Could Have Saved Sandra Bland
In a fit of idiocy and confusion, Democrats in the Legislature not once, but twice derailed bipartisan legislation prohibiting police from making arrests for minor infractions.
Politics & Policy
April 23, 2019
Attacks on the Dallas DA Signal Trouble for the Criminal Justice Reform Movement
Big-city prosecutors are now driving the conversation around mass incarceration, and some lawmakers and law enforcement officials just can’t abide that.