Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ James Allen Smith was only supposed to be at a Texas prison for months to undergo a drug and alcohol rehab program.

Instead, he got the coronavirus and died in prison custody.

At least 84 Texas state prisoners have died after contracting the virus. bit.ly/2DjqjP8

2/ The death toll, which the leader of @TDCJ called “unprecedented,” is the second highest among state prison systems, according to the @MarshallProj. themarshallproject.org/2020/05/01/a-s…

3/ Those who have died include men serving life sentences, a man who was days away from his release date, and others, like Smith, who were only supposed to be locked up for a short time.

4/ Smith, a retired teacher, was sentenced to the program after he pled guilty to a repeat DWI offense in January.

His family expected him to return home.

“We never thought this would happen,” Lani Davis, Smith’s granddaughter.

5/ For months, advocates in Texas and across the country have pushed for the early release of some vulnerable prisoners — such as those with underlying health problems — as lockups became hotspots for the coronavirus.

6/ Some states have moved to release more parole-eligible prisoners or those nearing the end of their sentences.

But Texas hasn’t budged.

7/ Nearly 9,500 of about 131,000 people in Texas state prisons have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to @TDCJ reports.

Though the number of confirmed active cases went down in recent weeks, the agency continues to report more deaths.

8/ Early release decisions are made by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which is made up of governor-appointed members.

As the pandemic began taking hold in Texas, both the board and Gov. Greg Abbott rejected the idea of early prison releases.

9/9 Smith’s family says the state’s criminal justice system failed him and turned his six-month program into a death sentence.

Read more here: bit.ly/2DjqjP8