The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
About 25% of Texas’ correctional officer positions are unfilled. Inmates say the shortages make it harder for them to get respite during hot summer months. Full Story
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A Texas Juvenile Justice Department report says Dallas County officers kept kids in their sleeping quarters for days at a time and faked school attendance logs. Full Story
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Attorneys for the man facing trial in the killings of 23 people accused prosecutors of improper witness contact and violating confidential attorney-client communication. Full Story
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Pete Arredondo’s lawyers tell the court that the shooter, not the police, was to blame for the school violence. Full Story
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A Dallas County judge granted a motion to dismiss charges against Benjamin Spencer, 59, who was initially convicted in 1987 of murder. Full Story
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“It’s like time passes, but it also freezes,” said Rosie Granados, whose twin sister was killed during the shooting. Full Story
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The longtime head of the Department of Public Safety will step down at the end of the year. Full Story
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The indictment of the alleged leader of the human smuggling organization comes a day after Guatemalan authorities arrested him and six others in connection with the tragedy. Full Story
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Jurors instead put the responsibility with the shooter and a firearms ammunition retailer in a trial over the 2018 shooting. Full Story
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Chief Homer Delgado said the department has turned over the footage to the district attorney’s office and ordered an investigation into how the error occurred. Full Story
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Jaleen Anderson’s mom is on a quest for details about her son’s death in a Louisiana prison that houses hundreds of Harris County inmates awaiting trial. Full Story
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Limits on who can be released without paying bail and difficulties hiring guards worsen the situation. Full Story
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Some families wanted to preserve the sanctuary, which became the scene of the deadliest church shooting in American history. Full Story
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The city’s release ends a legal battle with news outlets, but other government agencies are withholding materials. Full Story
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Burton was sentenced to death for killing Nancy Adleman, a mother of three, while she was jogging on a summer evening in Houston. Full Story
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Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said he made the decision after the Uvalde district attorney found no criminal wrongdoing and asked that Ranger Chris Kindell be allowed to return to his job. Full Story
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Saturday marks five years since a gunman killed 23 people and injured 22 others in a racially-motivated massacre. Full Story
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The DOJ found that officers overused pepper spray, kept youths in prolonged isolation and failed to protect them from sexual abuse. Full Story
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A lawsuit seeks to force Texas to fully air condition its prison system. Inmate advocacy groups say temperatures can push above 120 degrees in some units. Full Story
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Health care contractor Turn Key serves nearly 70 counties across Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Colorado, Kansas and Montana. Full Story
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