jail

Texas Defender Service released a report highlighting details from 431 capital murder cases over a 20-year period in Tarrant County.

Anthony Johnson Jr.'s death was ruled a homicide at Tarrant County Jail after a jailer kneeled on his back. two years ago. His family is still waiting for a trial date and pending civil lawsuit.

The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, which runs the jail, has faced scrutiny for the number of in-custody deaths since Bill Waybourn took office.

Certificates of obligation, which do not require voter approval, would pay for facility construction, renovations and equipment throughout the county.

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office, under Sheriff Adam King, has faced allegations of mistreatment in a jail that's been in and out of compliance for years. Meanwhile, King faces criminal charges in a sexual harassment scandal.

A federal lawsuit alleging that people in the Smith County jail in Tyler, Texas were kept after their eligible release was settled in February for $1.5 million.

Anthony Johnson Jr. died in Tarrant County Jail custody in 2024 after officers pepper sprayed him in the face. Rafael Moreno, one of the officers on trial, knelt on his back for 90 seconds.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in an opinion the Texas Commission on Jail Standards has the authority to hire an independent investigator to look into all custody deaths. The opinion is in response to a letter sent by Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells last year.

A new comprehensive analysis of state data shows Texas prisons get so hot in summer that temperatures there would routinely violate state standards for other types of lockups. The state will be back in federal court to defend the conditions behind bars.

Commissioners have voted to spend $55 million exploring potential sites for a new county jail.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards gave Dallas County a "clean inspection" with no corrective notes during its review Jan. 13-15.

Jail and court computer systems compatibility makes it harder to adjudicate cases, causing longer waits in the jail.