The length of time child defendants spent incarcerated in Dallas County awaiting their cases to be resolved declined by 59 percent in two years—moving the juvenile justice system closer to meeting national standards for the first time since at least 2018. The average number of children held behind bars last year who were awaiting sentencing […]
Category: Criminal Justice
Posted inCriminal Justice
This Is What It Takes to Keep the Jail From Overflowing
In the years since the pandemic, the Lew Sterrett Justice Center has attracted more attention for its failures and challenges than any triumphs and progress. The county jail, Texas’ second largest, neared 100 percent capacity last fall, requiring emergency beds to house the inmates. A botched transition to new court software in 2023 forced courthouse […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
The Present Danger of Foster Care in North Texas
After observing foster-kid caseworkers—often inadequately trained, overwhelmed, and tardy to proceedings—during about 40 court hearings in Dallas County this month, it was no surprise the state acknowledged in a court filing Monday that children are in peril. Since the nonprofit Empower won the contract in February 2023 to provide case management services for nine local […]
Posted inPublic Services
What’s Really at Stake in November
Good morning and congratulations. You made it through the primary elections. Your phone should stop vibrating through your pocket any day now—except for, maybe, the voters who will return to the polls in the May runoff to determine candidates like attorney general. The Dallas results came late: The county GOP’s decision to hem voters into […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Where Did the Patrol Cops Go?
In 2021, after Dallas shifted its attention to curb violent crime, patrol numbers fell and response times skyrocketed. Those trends are changing, and so are the police department’s priorities.
Posted inCriminal Justice, Health, Housing, Neighborhoods, Public Services
These Stories Will Shape Dallas in 2026
The new year is here, and we are highlighting seven topics we’ll be watching closely.
Posted inCriminal Justice
When Mom Can’t Come Home
Last year, a program that attracted national attention for reuniting incarcerated mothers with their kids faced closure. Angelica Zaragoza helped it expand instead.
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 inCriminal Justice, Health, Public 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.