Michele Deitch

As I told @keribla.bsky.social, “You simply can't operate a safe facility with that many staff positions vacant…Supervision checks are left undone; staff don't want to intervene in incidents b/c there is no backup; & lockdowns are more frequent b/c staff are not available to take ppl to programs.”

Four deaths in two weeks: What’s behind the surge in violence at one Texas prison

www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...

So glad to have finally met you in person—and on the date of this pivotal change in your career, Yvonne! Sending all good wishes your way on your new journey.

The Progressive Scandinavian Prison Model Comes to an Idaho Prison Idaho Prison administration traveled overseas and brought back a new plan for state prisons.

The Progressive Scandinavian Prison Model Comes to an Idaho Prison.

Important explainer about investigations of deaths behind bars in Ohio.

And so glad that @keribla.bsky.social is back to stay on top of developments like this!

Texas is trying a new kind of death row – one with a sense of community A new program in the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas, allows death row prisoners to mingle outside of solitary confinement.

No shackles, no cuffs: Texas death row loosens solitary confinement for first time in years. Kudos to @tdcj.bsky.social for this new initiative.

www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...

This is so shocking and sad—what an untimely passing of a very good man. I was his student and briefly his research assistant, and he was a friend of my husband’s who was in our wedding party. What a legacy he leaves behind. RIP.

If you want to know more abt this issue, check out the Proceedings from last year’s Deaths in Custody conference organized by the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab @pjil.bsky.social : pjil.lbj.utexas.edu/events/death...

Home - NRCCO Making prisons and jails transparent and accountable. A one-stop shop to learn what correctional oversight looks like and how to[...]

To learn more about correctional oversight, consider @micheledeitch.bsky.social's wonderful resource: prisonoversight.org

@pjil.bsky.social

Reminder: kids in adult prisons are especially vulnerable to physical & psychological risks. They face high rates of sexual assault if mixed in w/ adults, & high rates of suicide & MH issues if isolated. Adult prisons are the WORST place for them. Much higher recidivism, too.

Yes, kids need to be held accountable for violent behavior against staff, but this isn’t the way to do it. We need to be asking Qs abt why violence is occurring. Lack of MH treatment or programs? Boredom? Lack of supervision? Response to staff mistreatment? Address THOSE factors.

And cutting off advocates’ access to youth prisons is pretty clearly in retaliation for them reporting abuses of youth to the DOJ. This is happening at a time when our youth prisons need MORE transparency and oversight, not less.

The one thing that we know doesn’t work with them is treating them in ways that are purely punitive. Kids aren’t thinking about the consequences of their actions. These harsher sentences won’t be a deterrent.

The bills are trying to make things much harsher for kids, punishing them for the failures of the system to address their underlying needs. These are 15 & 16 yo kids with very serious needs for mental health treatment & other social services.

The bills will lead to worse outcomes for youth, compromising public safety. All the bills are doing is isolating & punishing youth who are at risk, & making them vulnerable to further abuses.

Texas lawmakers are considering a law that would make it easier for minors to go to adult prisons Experts worry this punishment will lead to worse outcomes for kids who are transferred to adult facilities.

I was on
@TexasStandard today talking about two bad juv justice bills working their way through #TXLege. One bill would send more young kids to adult prisons; the other cuts off advocates’ access to juv facilities. They roll back 18 yrs of reforms.

www.texasstandard.org/stories/texa...

Trump says he will reopen Alcatraz as a federal prison Trump ordered multiple agencies to rebuild the penitentiary, which was closed in 1963 over high operating costs and has been a tourist spot for decades.

I guess the pendulum has swung from “Little Scandinavia” to “Little El Salvador”…

wapo.st/3F26ID7

Officials Play “Accountability Ping Pong” With Jail Deaths in Texas A bipartisan push for more oversight comes after a sheriff flouted state law mandating independent investigations of jail deaths.

Even if they rarely lead to consequences for staff, outside investigations into deaths in jails often still document information that families need to pursue wrongful death lawsuits or uncover evidence that contradicts jailers’ account of what happened. boltsmag.org/texas-j...

“Without an independent investigation, the public and policymakers would never know that the so-called ‘natural death’ was attributable to something jail staff did or didn’t do, and there would be no guidance as to how such deaths could be prevented in the future.”—Michele Deitch

Just because a jail death is “natural” doesn’t mean “there is nothing to see here,” as some jail officials would have you believe. EVERY jail death should be independently investigated.

Advocates Rally as Deaths Mount in New York Jails and Prisons They want to beef up the powerful but little-known State Commission of Correction.

"The State Commission on Correction looks really good on paper, but it doesn't do most of the things that it says it does." --Michele Deitch, #PrisonandJailInnovationLab

As Deaths Mount in New York Jails & Prisons, Advocates Rally for Oversight @nysfocus.bksy.social

nysfocus.com/2025/03/29/s...

Galveston County Jail issues pink jumpsuits to discourage recidivism; expert doubts effectiveness | Houston Public Media The county south of Houston is replacing its green inmate uniforms with "safety pink" in an attempt to discourage recidivism, enhance visibility for corrections officers and create a “calming atmosphe...

Galveston Sheriff trying to be the next Sheriff Joe, apparently.

www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

The Permanent Record Government Podcast · 62 Episodes · Updated Monthly

Four people have died in the Shelby Co Jail in the last two weeks. That's nothing new for this facility and its leadership.

In 2023, we explored this topic with @micheledeitch.bsky.social, a leading expert on in-custody deaths, in Ep. 54 of The Permanent Record. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Prison abuse, deaths and escapes prompt calls for more oversight • Stateline As state legislatures convene in the coming weeks, many lawmakers are focusing on a key criminal justice issue for prisons and jails: more oversight.

One reason why bills to create #prisonoversight are getting so popular? As I said to @stateline.org, "Legislators have become much more aware of what they don't know...They're totally reliant on corrections officials to tell them what's going on inside the facilities."
stateline.org/2025/01/13/p...

Prison abuse, deaths and escapes prompt calls for more oversight • Alabama Reflector As state legislatures convene in the coming weeks, many lawmakers are focusing on a key criminal justice issue for prisons and jails: more oversight.

"Correctional oversight will take center stage in this year’s legislative sessions, driven by mounting scrutiny of worsening prison and jail conditions and the growing adoption of independent oversight bodies across the country."

Great piece with insightful commentary by @micheledeitch.bsky.social

Prison lockdowns during the holidays makes it hard for inmates to connect with family Advocates and relatives of people in prison say they're facing lockdowns that hit hard during the holidays.

I was on @npr.org this morning, talking about lockdowns in prisons. The holidays are an especially tough time for people in prison & their families, & lockdowns make things even worse. Thanks @carriejohnson.bsky.social for caring.
@PJInnovationLab
@TheLBJSchool

www.npr.org/2024/12/24/n...

So exciting, Keri! Congratulations!!!

Once again, this investigation is a great reminder that the media provides an essential form of #oversight of our nation’s prisons & jails, which are so closed to public scrutiny. Thank you to all journalists who focus on conditions behind bars.