Texas lifts yearlong ban on prison visitation beginning March 15
State prisons shut down visitation last March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Full Story
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Jolie McCullough
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Jolie McCullough was a reporter at The Texas Tribune from 2015 to 2023. She began as a data visualization journalist and then reported on criminal justice policy, ranging from policing and courts to prisons and the death penalty. She joined the Tribune from the Albuquerque Journal, her hometown newspaper. She previously worked at the Arizona Republic and is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Past Contributions
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![The exterior of Huntsville Unit, a prison in Huntsville, on Nov. 14, 2019.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Texas courts cleared for in-person trials, and local officials will decide whether to require face masks
The Texas Supreme Court’s new order follows Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that he will lift a statewide mask mandate and many other coronavirus restrictions next week. Full Story
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![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Harris County got rid of cash bail for many people accused of minor crimes. GOP lawmakers want to walk that back.
Recent reforms that let more people accused of minor offenses be released without posting cash bonds appear to be working, new research shows. But Houston area lawmakers want to roll them back. Full Story
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![An Austin Bail Bonds II sign near Interstate 35 on Feb. 5, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas jails and prisons see brutal cold and overfilled toilets in winter storm
Power and water outages have also hit many Texas lockups. Inmates have feared for their safety and officers were kept at their job for days. Full Story
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![A jail officer stands guard inside her pit in a female detention area of the Dawson State Jail in Dallas on July 31, 2013.]()
Credit: Brandon Thibodeaux for The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ power grid is stabilizing, but more than 300,000 remain without electricity
Many people in the state still do not have power, and millions have had their water service disrupted. Full Story
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![Jacob Duran warms his hands over a grill after his apartment lost power due to the severe winter storm that hit the state. Feb. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas leaders failed to heed warnings that left the state's power grid vulnerable to winter extremes, experts say
Texas officials knew winter storms could leave the state’s power grid vulnerable, but they left the choice to prepare for harsh weather up to the power companies — many of which opted against the costly upgrades. That, plus a deregulated energy market largely isolated from the rest of the country’s power grid, left the state alone to deal with the crisis, experts said. Full Story
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![Powerline infrastructure in San Marcos on Feb. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
With more dangerous weather approaching, Texans say officials didn’t warn them about going days without power
Texas' energy grid operators warned of rolling, short-term power outages. Millions of homes have been without power since early Monday morning. Full Story
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![An eastbound view of East Stassney Lane in South Austin on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley retiring months after council members called for his removal
Manley worked for the department for 30 years. Last summer, he faced harsh criticism after police killed an unarmed man and then seriously injured nonviolent protesters. Full Story
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![Austin Police Chief Brian Manley speaks during a news conference near the scene where a woman was injured in a package bomb explosion, in Austin on March 12, 2018.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Sergio Flores -
Gov. Greg Abbott prioritized changing how bail is set. He isn’t addressing people stuck behind bars because they can’t afford to pay.
Multiple federal courts have found Texas' cash bail practices discriminatory against poor people. The governor has said his priority bill will instead focus on keeping "dangerous criminals" in jail before they're convicted. Full Story
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![An Austin Bail Bonds II sign near Interstate 35 on Feb. 5, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas prisons have doled out thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses — but none have gone to prisoners, who get the virus at high rates
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has been allocated nearly 9,000 doses. The agency vaccinated prison health care workers, then correctional staff in infected areas. Full Story
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![Texas Department of Criminal Justice William G. McConnell Unit at Chase Field in Beeville.]()
Credit: Jennifer Whitney for The Texas Tribune