In the area of criminal justice, Texas has had its share of both good and bad guys. From the recent execution of Karla Faye Tucker and the current situation of Darlene Routier all the way back to Bonnie and Clyde and Henry Lee Lucas, Texas has seen its share of convicts pass through the doors of its prisons. And the effects that these inmates have on society (good or bad) can leave indelible images on the way we as a state and a nation view ourselves.
One of those that this system has had an effect on is the same person who wants to let you in on what goes on behind the gates of the Texas criminal justice system. You're probably wondering why I might start on such a grisly topic. I will respond to you with the warning I gave you in my introductory article that Texas is a state where myths are both reaffirmed and shattered every day. This state at one time utilized - and to some extent, still utilizes - a frontier mentality to law enforcement and judicial proceedings. At one time, cattle rustling and horse stealing were once considered capital offenses worthy of hanging. (And I even read the other day in one of my area's newspapers that horse stealing is still considered in the law books as a felony - imagine that!)
And I'd also like to offer a little known fact for those of you who like to watch "Walker, Texas Ranger" (or for that matter still watch old "Lone Ranger" reruns). Back when most of Texas was still untamed frontier (including my neck of the woods), the Texas Rangers were a special force created by the governor to administer law enforcement throughout a state which was, for the most part, sparsely populated. And usually the common cry then (as it still seems to be now in some quarters) is to "get tough on crime."
I have recently become involved on a personal level with both a part of Texas' prison system and also with programs serving the needs of victims - and what I've learned from these activities has astonished me. I write the following series of articles about the criminal justice system because I feel that what you might find from what follows will be a lot of unexpected surprises that you've never expected.
