“There is a (cross section) between the same communities who are being exploited and oppressed for profit and for gain from these private prison corporations, and from those who would wish to push us down through these bills in the legislature,” Casini said. Lewis Conway Jr., a towering man who spent eight years in prison and another 12 on probation shouted into a megaphone as the crowd rumbled through downtown behind a booming drum line. Nothing was right. He was the third and last. But it is going to increase their talent pool and let them choose somebody based on their abilities and  Open Now. 'What are our mental health diversion programs doing?' [node:read-more:link]. - Call (416)315-1505 today! She was released from Illinois Department of Corrections in 2005 after serving 20 years and in 2008, was granted an early release from parole. Some say that puts an unfair prejudice in employers' minds before they've even had the chance to look at an application. A coalition of more than 100 immigrants, activists and former inmates marched through downtown Austin on Wednesday, urging lawmakers to give them a break as they consider legislation aimed at punishing so-called sanctuary cities and rolling back “fair chance” hiring policies. [node:read-more:link]. —  A new report by Grassroots Leadership and Texas Advocates for Justice was released in a press conference today outside Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s office. (512) 499-8111. Grassroots Leadership works with communities across this nation to abolish for-profit private prisons, jails, and detention centers. Before becoming a Toronto criminal lawyer, Robb studied law and received his J.D. Conway now serves as a criminal justice program associate for Grassroots Leadership, a group that seeks an end to mass incarceration, deportation and privately run prisons. That would get rid of a question at the front of job applications asking if you've ever been convicted of a crime. Statewide Coordinator, Annette Price: aprice@grassrootsleadership.org We couldn’t have done it without you. We advocate on behalf of our members to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and the Texas Legislature. Tuesday's protest was held outside Athena Manufacturing in North Travis County. AUSTIN, Texas — The homelessness crisis in Texas' capital city is coming to a major vote on May 1. Over the past five years, Ontario received 62 to 74 per cent of the total annual federal funding available," said David Taylor, a spokesperson for Lametti, the justice minister. My son suffered from PTSD after the murder of his brother, my second son. But critics of Workman's bill note that 1 in 3 adults in Texas has a criminal history — a factor that screens out many applicants automatically and disproportionately affects people of color. Please enter your name. Thank you to Be Frank 4 Justice, The Young and The Politics, Texas Advocates for Justice, and Grassroots Leadership for leading in this. They hired a lawyer and he got 6 years, she got 6 days. On Thursday, May 14, 2020, 14 community groups sent a letter to Harris County Judge Hidalgo and Commissioners expressing their gratitude in passing the Harris County COVID-19 Relief Fund as well as offering their support in bringing it to reality. Texas Voices For Reason and Justice is a statewide, non-profit, volunteer organization devoted to promoting a more balanced, effective, and rational criminal justice system. Houston Organizer, Dianna Williams, dwilliams@grassrootsleadership.org. “Make Some noise for no more prisons, no more deportations, no more ICE, no more police brutality, no more drug wars in our community,” he said. Travis County wants to build a new jail, but we need care, not cages. We believe no true, long-lasting change in the way our society deals with incarceration will be altered unless that change effort is led by those whose lives and communities have been directly impacted. But we’re not going to accept any more excuses,” Conway said. Read below. For instance, the number of women with mental health issues booked into the jail has doubled since 2013. Community Organization. Our lead Houston field organizer, Dianna Williams, gave a powerful testimony on why it's time for Harris County to invest in #CommunitiesNotCages. Those donations will ensure that we are able to keep organizing for the long haul and fighting back against criminalization right here in Texas. twitter.com/TexasAdvocates. (512) 499-8111. The protestors say companies like Athena keep 70 million people from getting meaningful employment. The kNOw More Advocacy Day featured spirited marching, memorable speeches, an indelible art exhibit, and powerful conversations with Texas legislators. Texas Advocacy Project empowers survivors through free legal services and access to the justice system, and advances prevention through public outreach and education. A Republican lawmaker wants to stop Texas cities from enacting them, wiping Austin’s off the books. Grassroots Leadership is excited to welcome Annette Price to our Austin staff as our Texas Advocates for Justice statewide coordinator! TVRJ advocates for common sense, research based laws and policies through education, legislation, litigation, and support for persons required to register for sex related offenses as well as for members of their families. 'Putting sick people behind bars is not the answer.'" Hours 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. 1309 Sunchase Dr. Lawrence, KS 66044. The rule followed a similar measure for government workers and won support from advocates who called it a step toward restoring citizenship, and lowering unemployment, among ex-convicts. Walking the streets of downtown Austin, both city advocates and members of the unhoused community are seeking a better solution than citywide camping bans. Grassroots Leadership seeks an Organizer for our Texas Advocates for Justice program, based in our Austin office (located at 2301 E. Cesar Chavez). Annette graduated from Grand Canyon University with a double masters in Professional Counseling and Substance Abuse Counseling. The Juvenile and Children’s Advocacy Project of Texas is a vocal advocate for Harris County juveniles and adults affected by the juvenile justice system through efforts dedicated to juvenile record sealing, direct representation for dual-status youth, and education rights representation. The Texas Legislature merged the Texas Youth Commission and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission to form the new Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD). We use our personal stories and direct experience with incarceration to build power and lead campaigns to transform the criminal justice system and build safe and healthy communities. The experiences of former jail and prison inmates are not always the same as those of immigrants who entered the United States illegally, but Sofia Casini, immigration programs coordinator for Grassroots Leadership, said there are many parallels to the challenges they face. Travis County commissioners voted unanimously to increase capacity at a planned women’s correctional facility at an April 23 meeting. “There are so many of us who are formerly incarcerated who need a job, who need housing, who need to take care of our children and grandchildren,” Halsey said. Now an organizer for Grassroots Leadership, an Austin-based civil rights group, Renaud served 25 years for robbery. On a day like today, when everyone is smiling and wishing you a happy Mother's Day, a part of me is not so happy. Other advocates, however, said the Justice Department's timing - it's only two weeks to Election Day - smacked of politics. We believe no true, long-lasting change in the way our society deals with incarceration will be altered unless that change effort is led by those whose lives and communities … Please check your email for further instructions. Community Organization. Canadian news, COVID-19 news and headlines from around the world. The daylong gathering was planned The report, Care Not Cages, revealed significant racial disparities in policing and jailing in Harris County. Attendees will participate in legislative training, visit with elected representatives and rally on the South Steps of the building at 1 p.m. An art installation created by formerly incarcerated people will be on display in the North Central Gallery, and a spoken word performance will take place in the Main Rotunda at 12 p.m [node:read-more:link], WHAT: Testimony at Harris County Commissioners Court, WHO: Texas Advocates for Justice, formerly incarcerated Harris County residents, and allies, WHEN:   Tuesday, February 12th, 9:30am [node:read-more:link], It’s no secret that the United States has a mass incarceration problem. He later earned a graduate degree in social work. Thanks for subscribing! Travis County continues to jail folks at an alarming rate for low-level drug possession, in fact these charges have increased by 90 percent in the last five years, while crime has decreased. It is time for Texas and Travis County — a progressive community — to lead by example. Experienced Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyer - Robb MacDonald, one of Toronto's preeminent criminal defence lawyers. Jorge Renaud knows what it’s like to look for a job with a record. The same excuses they made for why black lives don’t matter (are) why that jail exists.”. Our vision is that all Texans live free from abuse. But, did you know Texas ranks as one of the top five states contributing to this problem? [node:read-more:link], WHO: Formerly incarcerated people across Texas, WHEN:   February 4, series of events taking place from 9:30 to 3:00PM; Art Installation from 9:30–3:00PM; Spoken word performance from 12:00–12:30PM (Capitol rotunda); Rally in collaboration with Texas Inmate Families Association from 1:00–2:00PM, Liberation Not Incarceration: Hundreds from across Texas unite for a day of empowerment and advocacy at Texas Capitol, This Mother's Day, I'm Fighting to End the Mass Incarceration of Our Children, Texas Prison System Sheds Men, Swallows Even More Women, What your donation to our work means to us, Nine Local Organizations Ask Travis County to Put the Brakes on Proposed Women’s Jail, Immigrants, former inmates team up against prisons, deportations, Rules helping ex-cons find work are now targeted, "Ban the Box" supporters target Austin businesses, Detention and the #ShutDownHutto Campaign, Become a Grassroots Leadership Monthly Sustainer, Millions in Austin Police Department cuts ignite city’s experiment in reimagining public safety, Council Recap: (A Little More) Help Is On Its Way, Civil rights leaders call for COVID-19 protections in Texas jails, Chaos reigns at ICE detention centers amid fear that coronavirus is ‘spreading like wildfire’, As Coronavirus Infections Spread, So Have Clashes Between ICE Detainees and Guards. … Read below: Commissioner Adrian Garcia, Precinct 2 [node:read-more:link], HOUSTON, Tex. Nobody ever looked at my mental health issues. While in Texas Robb played hockey and water skied for the University of Texas. Get Directions. 3,643 Advocacy jobs available in Texas on Indeed.com. Today reminds me of the day my son entered a plea deal. twitter.com/TexasAdvocates. Grassroots Leadership is excited to welcome Annette Price to our Austin staff as our Texas Advocates for Justice statewide coordinator! KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives (International: Toronto, ON) A partnership of 11 Canadian churches and church organizations dedicated to social justice in Canada and worldwide. 'First time, after seven years in prison. Opens Tomorrow. Detention and the #ShutDownHutto Campaign, Become a Grassroots Leadership Monthly Sustainer, Millions in Austin Police Department cuts ignite city’s experiment in reimagining public safety, Council Recap: (A Little More) Help Is On Its Way, Civil rights leaders call for COVID-19 protections in Texas jails, Chaos reigns at ICE detention centers amid fear that coronavirus is ‘spreading like wildfire’, As Coronavirus Infections Spread, So Have Clashes Between ICE Detainees and Guards. Contact Texas Advocates for Justice on Messenger. —  A new report by Grassroots Leadership and Texas Advocates for Justice was released in a press conference today outside Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s office. Commissioners chose instead to approve 350 beds for the facility and include funding for a study on the housing needs of diversion programs, emphasizing they want to divert individuals from jail while also improving conditions for those who are incarcerated. [...] Brandi French, who first entered prison at age 19, asked Travis County commissioners last week to put the money they would have spent building a new women’s jail into community recovery programs. Texas Advocates for Justice a base building and community organizing program under Grassroots Leadership. But the rule and similar "ban the box" laws, which seek to erase criminal history questions from job applications, are taking criticism. Name. our board; our staff; our programs. “The same excuses they made for those jails they made for slavery. In Texas, where gun laws are among the loosest in the U.S., there is one line the state has long resisted crossing: making it legal to carry a handgun in public without a permit, background check or training. We gear towards individuals who have been directly impacted by the Criminal Justice system because we believe no long-lasting change will incur without those folks leading the campaigns. [node:read-more:link]. [node:read-more:link]. Texas Advocates for Justice added a new photo. [node:read-more:link], On August 1, Texas Advocates Justice (TAJ) and allied community groups hosted their first annual Night Out for Safety and Liberation (NOSL), a night to redefine what safety and liberation means to us beyond the oppressive structures of police, prisons, and jails. NOSL was created by The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, CA in response to the National Night Out event sponsored by the National Association of Neighborhood Watch, which invited law enforcement into communities of color to promote the myth that policing equates to public safety. [node:read-more:link], WHO: Formerly incarcerated people across Texas, WHEN:   February 4, series of events taking place from 9:30 to 3:00PM; Art Installation from 9:30–3:00PM; Spoken word performance from 12:00–12:30PM (Capitol rotunda); Rally in collaboration with Texas Inmate Families Association from 1:00–2:00PM. A 2011 survey of parolees and former inmates in Austin and Travis County found that more than three-quarters said their convictions were the biggest barrier to reentering society. See More Advocates For Justice Paralegal Services (913) 240-0227. winincourts1@gmail.com. “Many of the members of our community are locked in that jail, and they keep making excuses for keeping them locked up. Austin, TX, TX 78702. qualifications to do the job." [node:read-more:link], We are overwhelmed by the support we received during Amplify Austin on Friday.
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