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December 16, 2024
Parole Reform in Texas: Recommendations to Achieve Forward-Looking Justice 2024
A 2024 report by the UT Law Civil Rights Clinic and the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law explores how changes to parole could help reduce incarceration rates in Texas. Texas’ incarceration rate surpasses that of the United States, even as studies show how a high incarceration rate harms communities, rather than reducing […] -
December 16, 2024
Bound Knowledge: The Impact of Book Bans on Incarcerated Women and LGBTQIA+ People in Texas 2024
The UT Law Civil Rights Clinic, in partnership with the Civil Rights Clinic at Texas A&M University School of Law and Lioness Justice Impacted Alliance, published a report in 2024 revealing how Texas’ restrictions on certain books and material in Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities impact people who are incarcerated, particularly women and LGBTQ+ […] -
February 7, 2024
In December 2023, the Texas Civil Rights Project and the Civil Rights Clinic released a report detailing the detailing the extreme harms done by placing people who are incarcerated in solitary confinement. The report explains why the practice is dangerous, what factors allow the practice to continue, and how solitary confinement leaves lasting physical and […] -
February 7, 2024
In the Spring 2023, the Clinic worked with Texas Fair Defense Project to prepare litigation regarding the over detention of an individual in Smith County jail. TFDP’s litigation brought due process claims under Section 1983 and alleged that the county’s policies resulted in routine over detention, including holding an individual for 27 days in excess […] -
February 7, 2024
The Clinic is co-counseling with Rebecca Webber of Webber Law to represent Karen McGee, a woman in her 70s who was arrested at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport after she missed her flight and became disoriented and anxious. She has bilateral hearing loss. The litigation alleges she could not communicate with police officers because her […] -
February 7, 2024
The Clinic is co-counseling with Rebecca Weber of Webber Law to represent Karen McGee, a woman in her 70s who was arrested at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport after she missed her flight and became disoriented and anxious. She was incarcerated at Travis County Jail for two nights. Her lawsuit alleges that McGee, who has […] -
February 7, 2024
The Clinic is co-counseling with Brian East at Disability Rights Texas to represent an experienced truck driver with deafness. The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff was denied a job as a truck driver because of his disability despite holding an Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration exemption from the hearing requirement. Students are preparing the case […] -
February 7, 2024
In the Fall of 2023, the Clinic worked with Mano Amiga to develop guides and materials for community court watchers. Court watching is a way for community members to engage with the criminal legal system in a way meant to promote accountability, visibility, and empowerment. During the semester, students observed court hearings, created court watching […] -
February 7, 2024
In the Spring 2023, the Clinic worked with HEARD, a cross-disability abolitionist organization to research how courts have addressed linguistic competency among Deaf individuals involved in the criminal legal system. Clinic students researched court decisions, expert testimony, and abolitionist arguments for people facing indefinite civil commitment under claims of linguistic/mental incompetency. -
February 7, 2024
In the Fall of 2022, the Clinic created a Know Your Rights training for the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance. The Texas Harm Reduction Alliance aims to end the drug war and its harms through harm reduction, advocacy, outreach, and training. Clinic students researched and created a training for THRA staff regarding the rights of people […]
