Texas jails

This week on Texas Matters: How did FEMA actually perform after the July 4th Hill Country flood? Texas Rangers continue to search for flood victims. And investigating how pregnant women in labor are ignored while in jail.

Limits on who can be released without paying bail and difficulties hiring guards worsen the situation.

Harris, Tarrant and Bexar counties say their local jails are backed up with convicted state prisoners. The state says it's following the law.

Despite a near 10% rise in jail populations — bringing with it a rise in suicides, assaults and deaths — the governor looks to jail more for longer. Reform advocates call it political.

Rises in assaults, deaths, and suicides plague the state's 242 jails as the state saw a 9% rise in population numbers. Mentally ill inmates seen by regulators as in 'dire' situation.

Spurred by myriad problems at the jail, the report detailing recommendations of improvement was first due in February, and is now expected in September.

Voting rights groups want answers about the secret Texas voter purge, so they are suing. Is the primary problem in Texas the Republican primary? How a tiny minority of voters has control over who governs Texas. And what is the most violent jail in Texas?

An analysis of state data shows that Harris County Jail facilities lead state in assaults, often twice the per-capita number of other large jails.

Texas Observer reporters found incidents of neglect, apathy and abuse that led to over 1,100 jail deaths since 2010.

The pilot program is the first polling place of its kind in Texas.