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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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Texas House and Senate likely headed to closed-door negotiations over bail reform

May 21, 2021
In the final days of the 87th Texas legislative session, as Gov. Abbott’s priority bail reform bill was nearing passage, Capital Tonight interviewed PJIL Associate Director, Alycia Welch, on the potential implications of the bill.
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As Pandemic Raged, COVID-19 Testing Was Rare In New York’s Youth Lockups

April 4, 2021
New York has not followed that recommendation, prompting University of Texas at Austin researchers to list the state among seven others that have done the least to shed light on COVID-19 inside facilities. Secrecy during the pandemic, they warned in their new “Hidden Figures” report, makes it “difficult to determine if juvenile corrections agencies are responding to the complex and unique needs of incarcerated youth.”
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Report gives Maine poor rating for COVID data transparency in prisons, jails, juvenile facilities

April 1, 2021
An investigation using data from Hidden Figures which gave Maine a D-minus grade for the transparency of its COVID-19 data in the state prison system, a D for data transparency in juvenile facilities and an F for transparency in the jail system.
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Inside Florida’s largest jails, few or no people vaccinated, and still no statewide plan

April 1, 2021
Florida news investigation using PJIL's Hidden Figures report to look at the state's ranking for transparency about COVID in incarceration facilities, including how it reported vaccination plans and the implementation of them.
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Report Finds ‘Troubling Lack Of Transparency’ About COVID-19 In U.S. Jails And Prisons

March 30, 2021
Austin’s NPR station features the “Hidden Figures” report. Michele and co-author William Bucknall, a PJIL student researcher, grade states on COVID data transparency, finding that Texas scores better than other states, but the bar is very low.