Earlier, from Francesca D'Annunzio and Pulitzer Center: Operation Lone Star has turbocharged DPS’ surveillance capabilities. Lawmakers say they want to prevent Texas from becoming a police state but have filed only modest legislation to regulate use of #AI.
https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-dps-surveillance-arsenal-artificial-intelligence-lege/

In #books: While “restoring the rule of law” to the U.S.-Mexico border has been a resonant and repeated talking point for successive administrations, it is the border walls that they have built, not the #border itself, that are lawless. https://www.texasobserver.org/the-lawless-border-wall/

#bookstodon #immigration #CriminalJustice #law #USpol #politics #news @bookstodon

From our magazine: “The Laken Riley bill, that’s been talked about by the media and everybody as an immigration bill, but it’s a criminal justice bill. And they’ve punctured the due process in criminal cases. They’re basically saying that as long as [immigrants are] charged … not even that they’ve been convicted or that they’re on trial, [that they’ll be deported].” https://www.texasobserver.org/sylvia-garcia-interview-immigration/

As DPS expands the scope of its #AI policing capabilities, lawmakers have put forth legislation aimed at regulating the use of the rapidly advancing technology in #Texas. But experts say these bills don't go far enough. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-dps-surveillance-arsenal-artificial-intelligence-lege/

Since the LNP first introduced the draconian and outrageously dangerous Adult Crime, Adult Time legislation, Sisters Inside have spoken out against its inherent injustice

‘The Queensland Government cannot continue to ignore the fact that this punitive approach will only cause more harm. Evidence from around the world shows that treating children as adults in the criminal legal system increases recriminalisation and perpetuates cycles of violence and disadvantage. These policies are not about public safety—they are about political expediency, fearmongering, and the continued criminalisation of Aboriginal children,’ Debbie Kilroy

https://sistersinside.com.au/sisters-inside-condemns-the-expansion-of-adult-crime-adult-time-laws/

#AusPol #Australia #QLD #QLDPol #Criminology #CriminalJustice #Crime #Youth #YouthCrime #Aboriginal #Indigenous #Decolonise #AbolishPolice #AbolishPrisons #Abolition #CommunityNotCops #NoJusticeNoPeace

[shared from the SistersInside Facebook page]

#ICYMI: James Rodden, a North Texas #ICE prosecutor who the Observer revealed also operated a white supremacist account on the social network X, has drawn both public protest and condemnation from a sitting member of Congress. https://www.texasobserver.org/congressman-veasey-ice-response-racist-x-account/

The new book from Lise Olsen traces a forensic anthropologist’s decades-long attempt to restore the identities of the victims of one of #Texas’ most prolific serial killers—and explores the shocking reasons why so many boys who were kidnapped, tortured, and killed by a murderer trolling #Houston neighborhoods in the early 1970s remained anonymous for so long.
https://www.texasobserver.org/the-scientist-and-the-serial-killer/

#history #CriminalJustice #books #bookstodon @bookstodon #GulfCoast

I have a paper due for my drugs subject in a few weeks - discuss legislation and policy concerning illicit drug use and control in one international country as a basis for comparison with Australia.

I was going to look at the decriminalisation of drugs in Portugal, because that's super interesting... however..

..however.

"In conclusion, Australia should not follow the example of illicit drug policy and legislation set in the Philippines by Duturte's presidency because:
1. a lot of poor people were murdered in awful ways
2. the ICC will arrest and charge you with crimes against humanity."

"A federal judge on Wednesday found the extreme heat in Texas prisons is 'plainly unconstitutional,' but declined to order the state to immediately start installing air conditioning, which could cost billions.

The judge affirmed claims brought by advocates of people incarcerated in the state, where summer heat routinely soars above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius)."

https://apnews.com/article/texas-heat-prison-air-conditioning-judge-ruling-5d25ef8d7229c9e37cd73b4730eb1d4b

“The lack of detail and clarity regarding the initial investigation—beyond the vague statement that ‘we are investigating and hope to reach a conclusion within 120 days’—is simply not enough."

New: U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey is demanding answers in our ongoing coverage of the ICE prosecutor with an openly white supremacist X account. https://www.texasobserver.org/congressman-veasey-ice-response-racist-x-account/

When you start plagiarising yourself because you've been ranting on the same shit for years..

I've just noticed that when police post in their social media, they rarely use the word "allegedly".

There was a post from NSW police the other day about a young guy who was caught speeding (200+ km/hr), the cops literally posted a picture of his car in which his licence plate is visible and detailed information about what (allegedly!) happened, but never once used the term alleged/allegedly.

I find it interesting, because I guarantee anyone who talks about the cops doing anything wrong gets absolutely stomped for not using those terms.

Earlier, from Francesca D'Annunzio: Texas law enforcement agencies and others around the nation are reviving a long-dead "task force" program that led to racial profiling in the past. https://www.texasobserver.org/local-state-police-ice-287g-task-force/

Featured story: Last month, we revealed the owner of GlomarResponder, an overtly racist X account. It belongs to #ICE Assistant Chief Counsel James Rodden, a key prosecutor for the agency. https://www.texasobserver.org/ice-prosecutor-dallas-white-supremacist-x-account/

I'm fucking disappointed that the Guardian isn't being better than this. I know that mainstream media is always going to be used to push political agenda, but this is just so blatantly obvious with these headlines occurring within a week of each other.

Victoria isn't in a youth crime crisis.

Youth crime happens - and we know the biggest contributor to crime is poverty (something governments can address, but refuse to).

However, funding programs to address poverty and youth crime won't get votes. Scaring voters and then "tough on crime" rhetoric about "tightening bail laws" (which will put Aboriginal people's lives at risk!) gets votes.

#journalism #Australia #Law #Legal #AustralianLegal #Youth #YouthCrime #Vic #VicPol #Crime #Criminology #CriminalJustice

_____
Tyler Cawthray, an assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice at Bond University, has charted the similar narrative of a crime crisis engulfing Queensland, where the Liberal National party won government in October after campaigning on an “adult time for adult crime” policy.

Cawthray said across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, youth crime has generally decreased over the last decade, including during Covid.

Victoria has one of the lowest rates of youth crime in the country, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics data, with only the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia having a rate below it.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/12/bail-laws-victoria-jacinta-allan

oh no.. my lecturer mentioned 'cops in the US who are overdosing on fentanyl by just coming into skin contact with it...'

They aren't. It's a moral panic point that conservative media is trying to push.

#uni
#university
#academia
#crime
#criminology
#CriminalJustice

We're now talking about how people use drugs.. like the actual mechanism for taking them.

It's surprisingly hard not to just yell BOOFING in the middle of a lecture.

#uni
#university
#academia
#crime
#criminology
#CriminalJustice

I'm doing a subject this semester on Drugs and Crime. This week's lecture is called "pharmaceuticals and how drugs work".

My lecturer just said "well, I'm a criminologist, I'm not a doctor.. well.. I am a doctor, but I'm not a doc.. oh, you know. I have a doctorate of criminology, not a doctorate of doctoring.."