The Alarming Humanitarian Crisis in Texas’ Gib Lewis Prison Unit

There is a humanitarian crisis happening in our state. At this very moment, the administration and staff of the Gib Lewis prison unit in Woodville, Texas, are using holding cages to house individuals in unsanitary and unsafe conditions. The cages are too small to even lie down in, provide no access to toilet facilities, and none have a bed or mattress.

The practices of the administration and staff of the are illegal, inhumane, and they violate state, national, and international norms.

As a legal fellow in our Criminal Injustice program, I feel strongly about taking action when our legal system fails the people who are caught up in it. That is why, alongside Texas Prison Reform, have formally requested that the Texas Board of Criminal Justice’s Independent Ombudsman immediately investigate the Gib Lewis Unit, because the men incarcerated there deserve and have a right to sanitary and safe conditions.

We cannot allow our fellow human beings to be treated this way.

Our team recently visited the Gib Lewis unit, and spent time interviewing the men there and confirming the horrible conditions that they are experiencing. Their treatment violates basic human decency and must be stopped. Together with your help in raising the alarm on this issue, we can help address this crisis. Help us amplify the stories of these men by sharing our letter on social media.

https://twitter.com/TXCivilRights/status/1622985073065701377

Further reading:

Letter: Request for Investigation of Inappropriate Use of Holding Cells at Gib Lewis Unit