Michele Y Deitch in the Media

NPR April 19, 2025

Supreme Court suspends Trump administration’s deportations to foreign prisons

Senior Lecturer Michele Deitch describes the mega prison in El Salvador where hundreds of migrants have been deported as a "Kafkaesque situation" where families are left unaware of their loved ones' whereabouts.

Knoxville News Sentinel March 31, 2025

Experts ID red flags from jailers and hospital staff in David Batts’ death after arrest

Professor Michele Deitch comments that the Knox County jail should have refused to accept a disoriented individual showing cognitive impairment–who was later diagnosed with bacterial meningitis–because he belonged in the hospital.

The Texas Tribune December 2, 2024

Handshakes, murals and ministry: A reopened Texas prison focuses on rehabilitation

Professor Michele Deitch explains how creating more comfortable living conditions in prisons has been found to decrease violence and improve employee retention.

Texas Tribune September 20, 2024

Texas prisons and jails are recruiting more teenagers to shore up guard shortage

Professor Michele Deitch comments on the trend of Texas jails and prisons recruiting teenagers to train as corrections staff.

Texas Tribune August 13, 2024

Texas’ overcrowded and understaffed jails send people awaiting trial to other counties and states

Professor Michele Deitch comments on the worsening problem of overcrowding in Texas jails and how the situation could be impacted by legislative action.

Axios Austin April 24, 2024

1 big thing: COVID’s prison death toll

Professor Michele Deitch provides insight on increased mortality in U.S prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing attention to the lack of accessible healthcare.

Texas Tribune April 22, 2024

Texas inmates are being ‘cooked to death’ in extreme heat, complaint alleges

Professor Michele Deitch notes that excessive heat negatively impacts all functions of Texas prisons, making physical labor more difficult for staff, increasing violence among inmates, and leading to more use of force.

Austin American-Statesman April 22, 2024

Texas inmates are ‘being cooked to death’ in state prisons, advocacy groups allege in suit

Professor Michele Deitch discusses the dangerous heat conditions in Texas prisons, stressing the severe impacts on both staff and inmates.

C-SPAN's Washington Journal March 2, 2024

Michele Deitch on the U.S. Prison System

Professor Michele Deitch is interviewed about the current state of U.S. prisons and how improvements can be made to the criminal justice system.

The Denver Post September 23, 2023

Colorado’s county jails soon will have to meet basic standards. Should sheriffs play a key role in oversight?

Professor Michele Deitch comments on prison oversight approaches and points to the impact on taxpayers and public safety.

NPR September 23, 2023

1 in 4 inmate deaths happens in the same federal prison. Why?

Professor Michele Deitch comments on the lack of independent oversight of state and federal prison systems in the U.S., as reports from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) reveal exceedingly high death counts of those in custody.

Texas Tribune September 21, 2023

Texas inmate killed by cellmate during a statewide prison lockdown

Professor Michele Deitch applauds the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's efforts to address violence in the prison system, but questions the recent statewide lockdown as a viable solution.