News & Commentary

In 2016 and 2017, Mayor Sylvester Turner commissioned two major reports that address police reform. The Mayor’s Transition Committee on Criminal Justice was composed of 26 community leaders, elected officials, academics, and criminal justice reform advocates. It made eight recommendations for reform in March 2016.

On June 8, ACLU of Texas policy and advocacy strategist, Adri Perez, testified before the El Paso City Council to call on its members and the mayor to take meaningful action in holding the El Paso Police Department accountable. Below is a transcript of the testimony Adri gave before the council. 

Anthony D. Romero, ACLU Executive Director

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On May 31, less than one week after the murder of George Floyd, who grew up in Texas and was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in broad daylight, the Dallas Police Department’s (DPD) Twitter feed blandly reported “76 individuals arrested and jailed and approximately 45 to 60 more being processed to go to jail.”

Andrea Woods, Staff Attorney, Criminal Law Reform Project

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Lewis Conway Jr. was just planning a romantic anniversary getaway to San Antonio with his wife earlier last year.

All across Texas, the novel coronavirus is revealing, or at least reminding us, of how broken our state’s criminal legal system is.

Most public health experts have agreed that staying at home and minimizing contact with other people are two important ways we can all help stem the spread of COVID-19.

We are living through unusual times. The daily news surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some anxiety around still-unanswered questions, and many cities in Texas are issuing stay-at-home orders. So, what now?