Thursday, April 29, 2010

Tribune app explores Texas prison units

The Texas Tribune has created an:
application to explore Texas' numerous prison units, and learn more about the 160,000 inmates housed inside them. Search for inmates by name or explore this app by crime types and specific prison units. You can also view all Death Row inmates.
From my own experience with TDCJ data, I'm a little skeptical of the data on inmates by crime types, which becomes murky because inmates may be convicted of multiple offenses.

Making matters worse, when I've gotten that information from TDCJ in the past it was poorly coded, often with different codes for the same offenses, and virtually impossible to decipher. For example, the Tribune data lists "Cocaine-possession" as a separate offense category, but it's not actually a separate crime under the law and there's probably overlap with those listed as being convicted of other drug crimes like possseing less than a gram or one to four grams of a controlled substance.

I did find especially interesting the Prison Units Map, which gives detailed information including Google Earth pics and names of inmates housed there for each TDCJ unit. That'll be a chore to keep updated accurately, but it's interesting to sort through the data.

2 comments:

  1. Excellent site. They even spelled my friends name just as TDCJ does :)

    But lots of information there.

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  2. Interesting info ,but a lot of it is inaccurate as far as the convictions go . I noticed that a number are incorrectly listed . What would be very inserting is to see how many are convicted under the law of parties . That law that needs to be changed if not be removed, it is a disgrace . As it stands to avoid conviction under it you have to be clairvoyant any and it is misused to secure convictions when one never should have been convicted . MR DA can tell us all about how great it is to have extra capitol conviction notches in his belt and send innocent people to prison after it is for the children ! Persecutors / prosecutors & cops are are keeping every one safe . Who is keeping us safe from MR DA and the cops ?

    It would also be interesting to see a over lay of congressional districts an in relation to prison . .Do people know that prisoners are counted a indigent voters in prison towns so they get to have lots of government hand outs . The irony is those who benefit are frequently teabaggers who scream about government hand outs .

    A look at the map shows that many communities are dependent on TDCJ units that does not incled the federal prisons in the same towns ! I thought that “ conservatives” and Teabaggers did not want big government . This is massive government at its worse . 122 prisons is big government period . TDCJ employs the most people in Texas . With out it many towns would cease to exist take Marlin and Gatesville for example . 2300and growing felonies is massive intrusive governmentSo much for small government .

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