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The Trials of Eroy Brown: The Murder Case that Shook the Texas Prison System, by Michael Berryhill (University of Texas Press, 2011). 244 pages, $29.95
Loaded on April 15, 2012
by Mel Motel
published in Prison Legal News
April, 2012, page 46
Book review by Mel Motel
Filed under:
Discrimination,
Racial Discrimination,
Reviews.
Locations:
Texas,
United States of America.
The Trials of Eroy Brown: The Murder Case that Shook the Texas Prison System opens with a Tony Judt quote about how truthfully embracing history is an uncomfortable process. Michael Berryhill’s engaging account of one man’s journey through the then-named Texas Department of Corrections (TDC) …
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More from this issue:
- State-by-State Prisoner Rape and Sexual Abuse Round-Up, by Matthew Clarke
- Ohio Facility is Recycling Trash, Saving Money Thanks to Prisoners’ Slave Labor, by Joe Watson
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Indiana Prosecutor Disciplined for Conflict of Interest, by Matthew Clarke
- HRDC, Other Organizations Send Joint Letter to Tennessee DOC Commissioner, by Alex Friedmann
- Fourth Circuit Remands Prisoner’s Equal Protection Claim, by Michael Brodheim
- Texas Harasses, Denies Compensation to Wrongly Convicted, by Matthew Clarke
- Court Grants Preliminary Injunction to PLN in Sacramento County Jail Censorship Suit
- Texas Prisoner Health Care Underfunded
- Rumsfeld, Military Officials Immune from Suit by Foreign Nationals Alleging Torture on Foreign Soil, by Michael Brodheim
- Challenge to BOP’s Ban on Sexually Explicit Publications Dismissed, by Brandon Sample
- ACLU of Arizona Surveys Taser Use in Statewide Report, by Joe Watson
- New York City DOC Jail Official Resigns Amid Corruption Probe
- Ninth Circuit Holds Prisoners May be Compelled to Provide Blood Samples Under California DNA Act
- Thousands Referred but Very Few Qualify for Commitment as Sexually Violent Predators in California
- California Prison Doctors Accused of Misconduct Get Paid to Shuffle Paperwork, Deliver Mail
- Court Finds Pennsylvania Jail’s Phone Bidding Process was Rigged; Contract Awarded to Another Company
- Murderer Registry Becomes Law in Illinois, by Joe Watson
- Rehabilitation Finding Eliminates 30-Year Minimum Sentence for Aggravated Murder, but Oregon Parole Board Balks, by Mark Wilson
- Withdrawal of Approval of New Mexico Jail Class Action Settlement Not Appealable Order
- Washington State Prisoner Granted Preliminary Injunction to Treat Neuroma; Case Settles for $120,000
- Illinois Governor Signs Bill Banning Death Penalty, Commutes All Death Sentences, by Matthew Clarke
- Mississippi Oversight Committee Finds Fault in Operation of Prison Canteens, by David Reutter
- Florida Senate Rejects Privatization of 27 State Prisons – but Just Barely
- Connecticut District Court Finds ICE Agents Not Shielded from Bivens Liability; Suit Settles for $350,000, by Derek Gilna
- Texas Prison Guard Gets Five Years for Scalding Child, by Alex Friedmann
- Eighth Circuit Revisits Muslim Prisoner’s Settlement with Nebraska DOC; $74,000 in Attorney Fees Awarded, by Derek Gilna
- BOP Staff at FMC Lexington Recover Monetary Damages and Attorney Fees for Privacy Act Violations, by Derek Gilna
- No Qualified Immunity for Guard Who Failed to Protect Prisoner from Sexual Abuse, by Brandon Sample
- Incarcerated Veterans Help Other Incarcerated Vets Obtain Disability Benefits, by Michael Brodheim
- The Trials of Eroy Brown: The Murder Case that Shook the Texas Prison System, by Michael Berryhill (University of Texas Press, 2011). 244 pages, $29.95, by Mel Motel
- Ohio Jails Find Loophole to Again Charge Booking Fees
- Pennsylvania Parole Board May Not Condition Parole of Sex Offender on Admission of Guilt Due to Ex Post Facto Violation
- Oklahoma City Not Liable for Wrongful Conviction Resulting from Falsified Forensic Evidence, by Matthew Clarke
- California: State Settles Prisoner’s Lawsuit for $10,000, then Delays Payment
- News in Brief:
More from Mel Motel:
- Prisoners Respond to Call for Prison Phone Justice; SCI-Huntingdon Delivers!, July 15, 2013
- Louisiana Public Service Commission Postpones Prison Phone Reforms, April 15, 2013
- Reintroducing the Private Prison Information Act: An Interview, Feb. 15, 2013
- Louisiana Public Service Commission Votes to Lower Prison and Jail Phone Rates, Jan. 15, 2013
- Cook County, Illinois Lowers Jail Phone Rates, Jan. 15, 2013
- Organizations Submit Letters to FCC Urging Action on Prison Phone Rates, Dec. 15, 2012
- PLN Readers Flood the FCC with Letters; Campaign Fights for Prison Phone Justice, Nov. 15, 2012
- "Strong Families, Safe Communities" Sends Clear Message for Phone Justice, Oct. 15, 2012
- The Trials of Eroy Brown: The Murder Case that Shook the Texas Prison System, by Michael Berryhill (University of Texas Press, 2011). 244 pages, $29.95, April 15, 2012
- From the Bottom of the Heap: The Autobiography of Black Panther Robert Hillary King, Oakland, CA: PM Press (2009) $24.95 hardback, 217 pages, Sept. 15, 2009
More from these topics:
- New Jersey Governor’s Order Allows People with Prior Felony Convictions to Serve on Jury Duty, March 1, 2026. Racial Discrimination, State Legislation, Restrictions, discrimination, Jury Selection.
- Texas Prisoner Declared Innocent 70 Years After Execution, March 1, 2026. Racial Discrimination, Death Penalty, False Confessions, Eyewitness Identification, Prosecutorial Misconduct.
- Minnesota Study Shows Disproportionate Rate of Health and Mental Problems for Recently Incarcerated, March 1, 2026. Racial Discrimination, Medical, Statistics/Trends, Mental Health, Health care.
- Federal Court Strikes Much of Virginia’s Felony Voting Restriction, Feb. 1, 2026. Racial Discrimination, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Restrictions, discrimination, Voting Rights, Felon Disenfranchisement Statute.
- The New York Prison System’s Culture of Cruelty and Impunity, Feb. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Racial Discrimination, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Restraints, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death).
- How AI Integration Used by Law Enforcement Fails the Public, Feb. 1, 2026. Racial Discrimination, False Arrest, Police State-Surveillance, Electronic Surveillance, Evidence - Integrity/Reliability of.
- Report on “Pay-to-Stay” Fees Makes Strong Case for Their Repeal, Jan. 1, 2026. Racial Discrimination, Medical Expenses, Cost of Prison Systems, housing, Ability to Pay.
- Report Shows How Prison Gerrymanders Distort Democracy Across U.S., Jan. 1, 2026. Racial Discrimination, Voting, Census, Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Voting Rights.
- Hawaii Prison Warden Reinstated After Being Fired in 2014 for Sexual Harassment, Dec. 1, 2025. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Supervisor-Staff Harassment, Guard Misconduct, Racial Discrimination, Employee Litigation.
- Eleventh Circuit Overturns 1990 Alabama Death Sentence Over Racially Biased Jury Selection; ACLU Report Shows It Is Still Happening, Nov. 1, 2025. Racial Discrimination, Habeas Corpus, Death Penalty, Batson Claims, Racial Bias Exception.

