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With 78 TX Prison Staff Deaths, COVID Threat 'Far From Over'

Feb. 24, 2022
The National Criminal Justice Association announces the release of PJIL's latest publication, "Canary in the Coal Mine: A Profile of Staff COVID Deaths in the Texas Prison System."
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Correction Department cries out for oversight

Dec. 1, 2021
The Editorial Board discusses the need for correctional oversight, and quotes Michele on the increasing momentum across the country supporting the establishment of external correctional oversight bodies.
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Weekly Roundup of News and Views on Solitary Confinement

Nov. 10, 2021
Independent Oversight Is Essential for a Safe and Healthy Prison System,” Michele’s essay published in the Brennan Center for Justice’s series on punitive excess, was featured in Solitary Watch’s Weekly Roundup of News and Views on Solitary Confinement.
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Independent Oversight Is Essential for a Safe and Healthy Prison System

Nov. 3, 2021
Published as part of the Brennan Center for Justice’s series on punitive excess, Michele identifies independent correctional oversight as a critical but often overlooked tool that provides a window into one of our most opaque public institutions, one that denies elected officials the option of remaining purposefully ignorant about correctional conditions.
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When prisons locked down, prisoners were denied release

June 29, 2021
Citing “Dead Man Waiting,” our report on deaths among those who were approved for parole but were still waiting for their release from prison, this article describes the nationwide problem of release delays due to programming requirements--a problem that was exacerbated during the pandemic.
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Pandemic-Related Delays Fatal For Texas Prisoners Approved For Parole

June 22, 2021
Michele summarizes findings from “Dead Man Waiting,” our report about deaths among people who were approved for parole release but who continued to languish in Texas prisons.
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Dozens of Texans Died of COVID-19 in Prison Despite Being Granted Parole, Report Finds

June 17, 2021
Michele and Alycia, summarize findings from our Dead Man Waiting report and discuss the implications. The article includes a quote from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles responding to delayed releases among people approved for parole due to programming requirements.
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Dozens who died in Texas prisons during the pandemic had been granted parole, new report shows

June 17, 2021
Quoting Michele, this article provides a detailed description of findings from “Dead Man Waiting,” and the factors that contribute to keeping people in prison after they’ve been approved for parole.
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New report finds parole-approved prisoners waited months for release amid pandemic

June 15, 2021
At least 18 paroled inmates died behind bars last year because the programs they had to complete before they could be released were slowed or stopped cold by the pandemic, a new report says.
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Dead Man Waiting: A brief profile of deaths in Texas prisons among people approved for parole release

June 1, 2021
In a first-of-its-kind analysis, “Dead Man Waiting,” shows that while deaths among parole-approved people increased during the COVID period, this population was already dying in large numbers from other chronic health issues while awaiting release. The report was the subject of a full-length NBC News NOW story, featuring families of people who died after parole approval, as well as several other prominent news outlets.