Women's Justice

Austin Event to Highlight Solutions Outside of Criminal Punishment System

Screengrab of press release

This Friday, local coalitions and organizations will gather for a community conversation focused on incarceration, public safety, and healing. “The State of Public Safety Through Healing and Equity” will be led by crime survivors and Texans who’ve been personally impacted by the criminal punishment system. The event is free for all community members, and will be hosted at St. Edwards University.

Formerly Incarcerated Leaders to Gather for Community-Building Event in San Antonio

Screengrab of press release PDF

On December 30, a group of formerly incarcerated and justice system-impacted Texans will convene in San Antonio. The event, “From Prison to Power: Finding Your Voice After Incarceration,” is organized by the Texas Center for Justice and Equity’s Statewide Leadership Council (SLC).

Read the rest of this press release here.

Prison to Power: Advocating for change in TX

Screengrab of Fox Austin video with two SLC members speaking to anchor

A group of formerly incarcerated Texans is organizing to bring change to Texas prisons. A free event Saturday, called Prison to Power, focuses on helping people personally impacted by the criminal system.

Watch the full video from Fox 7 Austin.

Texas Center for Justice and Equity Releases 2023 Bill Analysis Guide While Acknowledging Need for Deeper Gains

Texas Capitol dome Text: 2023 Bill Analysis Guide: New Justice Legislation in Texas TCJE logo

Today, the Texas Center for Justice and Equity (TCJE) released a guide to around 40 bills that passed into law during the 2023 session of the Texas Legislature. The majority of the new laws go into effect on Friday, September 1. These bills span youth and adult justice—including court processes and defense, probation and treatment options, incarceration and conditions of confinement, parole and reentry, and other relevant issues.

Texas prisons are unbearably hot. I live in one.

The Texas Prison Air-Conditioning Advocates set up this mock cell in South Austin the week of April 19, 2021, and invited lawmakers and the public to experience what it feels like to experience the heat behind bars.

Last month, a woman died. What I know was only what guards told me after I saw the reflection of the ambulance lights, she complained of chest pains. Guards at Lane Murray Unit, a prison in Texas where I am also incarcerated, took her to medical twice and each time returned her to her bunk in the general population dorm. When the guards came to take her a third time, they found her dead.

Read the rest of this article from Dallas Morning News.

Fair Hiring, Unfair Housing

Screengrab from Texas Observer website with headline and illustration of chain with house on lock and key with worker on it

When Jennifer Toon arrived at yet another prospective Austin rental in November 2021, she was welcomed by a dead rat. Its tail, curled limply on the duplex parking lot, was thicker than her cat’s. While the rat seemed welcome, Toon soon learned that she was not. As one of nearly 70 million Americans with criminal records, Toon continues to face “collateral consequences,” including housing and employment obstacles, over a decade after her conviction—even in a “Fair Chance” haven like Austin.

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