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Unsafe Drinking Water at Multiple Texas Prisons Highlights Lack of Transparency

Loaded on April 1, 2026 by Matthew Clarke published in Prison Legal News April, 2026, page 44
Filed under: DOC/BOP misconduct, Infections, Environmental Law, Water, Public Records Act. Location: Texas.

by Matt Clarke

The Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) recently published “Unlocking Safe Water in Texas Prisons,” a report on the lack of transparency exhibited by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) when it pumps and treats its own drinking water and apparent provision of unsafe drinking …

 

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  1. Alabama’s Non-Solution to the Crisis Overtaking Its Prisons, by Douglas Ankney
  2. Colorado Governor Tells Lawmakers to Open New Prison
  3. From the Editor, by Paul Wright
  4. $667,000 Awarded to Muslim Missouri Prisoners Pepper-Sprayed for Praying, by Chuck Sharman
  5. Former Maine Prison Official Stole $2.4 Million Through Fraudulent Supply Orders
  6. Virginia Jail Suicide Results in $950,000 Settlement, Claims Against Wellpath still Pending, by Chuck Sharman
  7. The Cells Inside ‘One of the Most Archaic Prisons in the United States’, by Shakeil Price
  8. Massachusetts Settles Lawsuit with Promise to Release Jail Voting Data, by Chuck Sharman
  9. In Texas, Harris County Commissioners Approve $1.2 Million for Fourth Study of Jail Since 2020 After Dozens of Abuse Allegations, by Matthew Clarke
  10. “Large Fight” Broke Out at Alaska Prison After Downsizing Effort, by Jo Ellen Knott
  11. $1 Million Paid by Cuyahoga County for Detainee’s Preventable Suicide in Cleveland Jail, by Chuck Sharman
  12. Class Certification Granted to Suit Challenging Suspension of HALT Act in New York Prisons, by Chuck Sharman
  13. ICE Jails Denied Muslim Detainees’ Right to Celebrate Ramadan
  14. More Measles Cases Detected at Jails in New Mexico and Texas, by Jo Ellen Knott
  15. California Spends $300 Million Each Year Incarcerating Senior Citizens in Women’s Prisons, by Victoria Law
  16. Idaho Struggles to Respond to Devasting Report of Widespread Prisoner Sex Abuse, by Chuck Sharman
  17. Houston Jail Renews $38 Million Contract to Outsource Detainees to Private Lockups
  18. $2.75 Million Paid by Washington County and NaphCare for Jail Detainee’s Suicide, by Chuck Sharman
  19. Ohio Supreme Court Awards Prisoner $1,000 for Denied Records Request, by Chuck Sharman
  20. Texas Attorney General Clarifies Scope of Statute Requiring Outside Agency Investigation of Jail Deaths, by Matthew Clarke
  21. $1.5 Million Class-Action Settlement Reached in Texas Jail Over-Detention Case, by Chuck Sharman
  22. Missouri Prisons Called Out for Incomplete Death Records, Hellish Solitary Heat, by Chuck Sharman
  23. D.C. Judge Blocks Transfer of Biden-Commuted Federal Death Row Prisoners to “Supermax,” Citing Lack of Meaningful Due Process, by Matthew Clarke
  24. Eighth Circuit Revives Lawsuit Over Iowa Jail Detainee’s Suicide, by Matthew Clarke
  25. Oklahoma County Officials Move to Dissolve Jail Trust Created for Oversight
  26. Almost $1 Million in Settlements Paid to Three Nevada Prisoners, by Chuck Sharman
  27. Two Texas Women Charged for Using Plastic Crows in Smuggling Scheme
  28. Fourth Circuit to BOP Prisoner: Any “Disqualifying Offense” Means Zero FSA Credits, by Chuck Sharman
  29. California County Hires New Healthcare Company After Jail Deaths Under Wellpath
  30. New Illinois State Law Requires Prisons to Submit Annual Hospice Reports, by Michael Thompson
  31. At This Prison, Staffing Fluctuations Land Hardest on Lifers, by Jeffrey Shockley
  32. Internal Assessment Contradicts Public Claims About Women’s Prisons, by Michael Thompson
  33. Five Prisoners in Georgia Injured in Fight, Two Months After Three Prisoners Were Killed
  34. Groundbreaking Statistical Study of Pregnant Texas Jail Detainees Finds Over 400 Monthly, by Matthew Clarke
  35. Hawai’i Settles Prison Mental Healthcare Class-Action With $100,000 in Attorney’s Fees and Expert Inspection That Produces Damning Report, by Chuck Sharman
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  40. Unsafe Drinking Water at Multiple Texas Prisons Highlights Lack of Transparency, by Matthew Clarke
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  44. ICE Settles Suit Over Opening Detainees’ Legal Mail, by Chuck Sharman
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  51. ICE Taps New Contractor to Run Deadly Detention Center in Texas
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