“It makes it impossible for attorneys to effectively represent their clients if they cannot have that confidential communication with them,” - PJIL Director Michele Deitch

PJIL is featured in a news story on the lack of air conditioning in Texas prisons. Michele highlights the risk of heat-related illnesses for both the incarcerated as well as the employees.

Michele calls attention to how a family's grief of an incarcerated loved one's death can be made worse by the way the news is delivered. She advocates for death notifications to be as quick and empathetic as possible.

Linn County Jail (Iowa) reports an alarming number of in-custody deaths. Michele notes that the highly surveilled, closed environment of a jail should prevent deaths. She also advocates for the independent investigation of deaths behind bars.

Michele is quoted in the July cover of Newsweek on a⁩ story about what would happen if Trump goes to prison.

PJIL's Michele discusses the impact that correctional education programs like prison literacy efforts can have on recidivism.

Hundreds await a state psychiatric hospital bed while in county jail anywhere from months to more than 800 days, raising health and legal concerns. PJIL's associate director, Alycia Welch, explains the state of competency restoration in Texas and offers recommendations for improvement.

“The agency is competing against other jobs that may offer higher wages, including the oil and gas industry,” said PJIL Director Michele Deitch, “So there’s not a huge pool of people to call on to work in these spaces”

“Camille Cain was deeply invested in trying to reform the agency and turn it into a trauma-informed environment for youth in a way that met their needs,” - PJIL Director Michele Deitch

Michele and PJIL researcher Benny Hernandez III were interviewed about excessive temperatures in the Texas Criminal Justice Department. Benny recounts his personal experiences trying to stay cool in prison during the summer months.