Harris County — Jail and Prison Conditions — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Jail and Prison Conditions

Even if an inmate's sentence is not oppressively long, their treatment while incarcerated can still constitute subhuman treatment. Prisons are not medical facilities, but they regularly are forced to deal with mental health problems and care for elderly and terminally ill inmates. Food, if it's even edible, usually lacks enough nutrition for inmates' health to not deteriorate. Plus, with a lack of opportunities to see family, read, or gain skill sets, inmates are placed in buildings which lack any resemblance of the civilized world.

Posts tagged Harris County

Why I Started a Book Club in the Harris County Jail

“The book clubs Drew and I started demonstrate that people in every pod in the jail have the capacity for education and enrichment, and they have an interest in learning. The clubs also improved the disciplinary climate in the pod. A high security classification should not bar participation in GED classes or other rehabilitative services. We know these programs make jails safer and reduce rates of recidivism when people reenter society. A 2018 RAND analysis found that prisoners participating in correctional education programs were 28 percent less likely to reoffend. Almost everyone locked in a cage in Harris County will someday be back in our community. We must stop purposely throwing away the key to their rehabilitation.“

Texas Observer

December 2, 2019

Education, Access to Outside WorldPhillip ReevesDecember 2, 2019Texas Observer, Harris County, HoustonComment

Harris County jail inmate in solitary confinement found dead in apparent suicide

"That death came even as the jail was working to drive down its suicide numbers, which were already below the national average. At the same time, the jail has worked to lower its solitary confinement population, slashing the number in half over a five-year period."

Houston Chronicle

July 25, 2018

Death in Prison, Solitary ConfinementAnthony BradleyJuly 29, 2018Houston Chronicle, Harris County, Texas, Solitary Confinement, Suicide

Houston’s biggest jail wants to shed its reputation as a mental health treatment center

"Harris County believes it’s the first to formally create a separate bureau responsible entirely for mental health and jail diversion. It has equipped deputies with tablets that connect to a psychiatrist for on-the-spot treatment or triage and will set up a central booking desk this fall to better sort those arrested into treatment before they get charged with a crime."

Politico

July 9, 2018

Mental HealthAnthony BradleyJuly 29, 2018Politico, Harris County, Houston, Mental Health