Prison Reform

At least 11 current inmates in the Placer County jail and a correctional officer have tested positive for COVID-19 as officials work to contain an outbreak at the Auburn jail. "There's never been a greater need for oversight," said LBJ's Michele Deitch. "We have to find other ways to enhance transparency about what's going on behind the walls, and one of the best ways to do that is through data. That's good government 101.

Jails were not designed for a population of people that are primarily in need of mental health services, said LBJ’s Michele Deitch, but they become that by default due to a lack of services within the community. “That’s not what (jail employees) were trained to do or the jails were designed for,” Deitch said. “It is inconsistent with treatment and a therapeutic approach.”

"Herd immunity … is not something to aim for in correctional settings," said LBJ’s Michele Deitch, "because that basically means the agency has not been able to prevent the spread, and countless people have suffered through the ill-effects of the virus and many have died. … Plus, there is such a huge churn of population in the jail that the virus will continue spreading to people on the outside, regardless of whether people inside are in some way protected by the herd."

Visitation is a critical lifeline for incarcerated people, yet some families say Texas prison officials ban them from seeing loved ones over petty or unproven claims of misconduct. The Texas Observer...

LBJ's Michele Deitch said it is "'absolutely critical' that the Department of Criminal Justice find ways to release the people who are most medically vulnerable to the novel coronavirus and to group...

While prison officials insist they're doing their best in the face of an unprecedented crisis, Gov. Greg Abbott has mostly ignored the pandemic inside the Texas prison system. LBJ's Michele Deitch...

LBJ's Michele Deitch talks about the preventative measures enacted in the Travis County Jail in February — which have made a big difference in keeping inmates infection-free to this point. "By all...

At last count, about 1 of 6 positive COVID-19 diagnoses in Bexar County could be traced to the downtown lockup. LBJ's Michele Deitch discusses the problems with trying to stop an outbreak's spread...

As of May 11, 636 inmates at Federal Medical Center Fort Worth — 43 percent of the total population — tested positive for coronavirus. LBJ's Michele Deitch talks about the difficulties in keeping...

LBJ's Michele Deitch talks about the critical need for prison oversight during the COVID-19 pandemic. "We have to find other ways to enhance transparency about what's going on behind the walls, and...