Last year, a program that attracted national attention for reuniting incarcerated mothers with their kids faced closure. Angelica Zaragoza helped it expand instead.
Author Archives: Kelli Smith
Posted inCriminal Justice
The Stubborn Story of a Challenged Apartment Complex
Volara in Oak Cliff, once the most violent apartments in Dallas, last year became a tale of success. In 2025, police say it has returned to its old ways. What happened?
Posted inCriminal Justice
The Perception and Truth Behind Violence in Dallas
Despite numerous high-profile murders and violent crimes, the city is on pace for its largest decrease in homicides since well before the pandemic.
Posted inHealth
Deep Medicaid Cuts Come for Parkland
The steepest reduction in the program’s history has the leaders of the county’s safety net system preparing for the unknown. Here is where things stand.
Posted inPublic Services
The 33-Year-Old Architect of the Region’s Fentanyl Response
Becky Devine had a theory: could outreach teams, deployed days after a drug overdose or poisoning, save lives? Three years later, deaths are declining.
Posted inPublic Services
The Cleaners
Meet the team that is helping cut violent crime by improving neighborhoods and addressing blight.
Posted inPublic Services
When the ‘Mayhem’ Stops
In the Esperanza neighborhood near Dallas’ border with Richardson, county officials envision a new future in a shuttered school.