Who We Are
Texas Justice Initiative is a nonprofit organization that collects, analyzes, publishes oversight for criminal justice data throughout Texas.
Learn more about who we are and what we do, or follow us on social media to stay up to date on the latest happening in Texas' criminal justice system.
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Providing important criminal justice data in a way that's easy to digest is the result of dedicated work by our passionate team.
We appreciate the support of our gracious donors and volunteers who make this happen.
What We're Reading
News that caught our attention or cited the Texas Justice Initiative from across the Lone Star State and beyond.How dangerous is your jail? Exclusive analysis compares Texas jails on use-of-force injuries, deaths
Published on August 17, 2023Eric Dexheimer and Alexandra Kanik analyzed serious incident reports from Texas county jails that TJI collects to evaluate safety in rural Texas jails.
‘A place of torment’: 22 families, former inmates sue Harris County over jail conditions
Published on August 7, 2023Eileen Grinch with Houston Landing reports that relatives of nine people who died in Harris County Jail along with 13 people who were formerly incarcerated have sued Harris County, claiming civil rights violations. The federal complaint comes after dozens of deaths and injuries in the Houston lockup over the past few years.
Texas prisoners struggle to endure heat wave in facilities without air conditioning
Published on July 19, 2023Paul Flahive reports on the ongoing heat wave affecting people incarcerated in Texas prisons: "One inmate told TPR the best way to describe what it’s like to be in a Texas prison cell without air conditioning is to think of a cookout on a hot day."
HPD's use of force incidents that cause major injuries disproportionately affect Black residents
Published on June 12, 2023Data from the Houston Police Department's transparency hub: Black individuals made up 72 percent of those seriously injured and 63 percent of those killed by police since 2020, according to reporting by Matt deGrood.
Keep Informed
State of the Data is our monthly newsletter where we provide updates on what we are working on and related news from all over Texas. Joining our newsletter ensures you continue to stay up to date on the latest news and legislative action related to officer involved shooting incidents in Texas.