June 20, 2018 by nthompson
[mensaje bilingüe]
Whether it’s bonding out a mother so she can be reunited with her child, supporting a hunger strike leader facing solitary confinement, or setting a sexual assault survivor free from her abusive guard’s reach, there are moments of crisis so severe we need to respond instantly. This is one of them. Read more about Reunite Families! Hutto Community Deportation Defense & Bond Fund
June 4, 2018 by Holly Kirby
Grassroots Leadership is excited to welcome Annette Price to our Austin staff as our Texas Advocates for Justice statewide coordinator!
Annette was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana and moved to Texas is 2007. She was released from Illinois Department of Corrections in 2005 after serving 20 years and in 2008, was granted an early release from parole. Annette graduated from Grand Canyon University with a double masters in Professional Counseling and Substance Abuse Counseling. Read more about Welcoming Annette Price as our Texas Advocates for Justice statewide coordinator!
June 4, 2018 by Chris Harris
Grassroots Leadership is excited to welcome Sarai Morales as a new Social Work Intern!
Sarai holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from St. Edward’s University and is currently working on a Master’s degree in Social Work at Texas State.
Sarai will be conducting her final field placement at Grassroots Leadership this summer where she will be helping the Criminal Justice Team with research and policy. She is very excited to work with our organization to fight the criminalization of our community, promote justice and advocate for individuals. Read more about Welcoming Sarai Morales to the Criminal Justice Team
May 14, 2018 by mzezqueaux
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. Today reminds me of the day my son entered a plea deal. Just before he agreed, he looked at me, and my gut was screaming, "Noooo!" Nothing was right.
My son suffered from PTSD after the murder of his brother, my second son. He was the third and last. He got into some serious mischief with a girl that lured him away from me with some Bonnie and Clyde nonsense. They hired a lawyer and he got 6 years, she got 6 days. Read more about This Mother's Day, I'm Fighting to End the Mass Incarceration of Our Children
April 23, 2018 by Latasha Taylor
At Grassroots Leadership, we advocate and organize against private prison, detention centers and behavioral health treatment centers. Diverting those with mental health concerns from the criminal justice system into community treatment programs. Ultimately, those with mental health issues are not diverted but instead forced into a failed criminal and mental health system — especially in Houston, Texas. Read more about I took a tour of the Harris County Jail Mental Health Unit. Here’s what I found.
April 17, 2018 by Bob Libal
Today, Grassroots Leadership is mourning the loss of Donna Red Wing, who passed away yesterday after a battle with cancer.
Donna was Grassroots Leadership's second Executive Director, serving the organization in that capacity between 2010 and 2012. Before that, she was a long-time board member and supporter of the organization. Donna had a long career as trail-blazing organizer and national figure in the LGBT movement including serving in leadership roles at the Interfaith Alliance, Human Rights Campaign, and Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Read more about Donna Red Wing, Rest in Power
March 5, 2018 by Bob Libal
We are overwhelmed by the support we received during Amplify Austin on Friday. We are happy to share that we met our $10,000 goal. We couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you! Those donations will ensure that we are able to keep organizing for the long haul and fighting back against criminalization right here in Texas. For example, did you know the Travis County Commissioners Court is actually considering spending $97 million on a new jail? Read more about What your donation to our work means to us
February 28, 2018 by Bob Libal
Grassroots Leadership is excited to welcome Ari Luna as our new Administrative Associate!
Born and raised in Central Texas, Ari holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Ari joins us with 6 years of experience providing specialized support to non-profit organizations in Austin, Texas. They are excited to support our organization and staff in their fight to eliminate incarceration, deportation, and criminalization. Read more about Welcoming Ari Luna
February 26, 2018 by Cate Graziani
I hate to say we told you so. In this case, I really, really hate it.
An exposé in the Texas Observer this month confirmed everything we feared about the Treatment Industrial Complex (TIC), a term we use to describe private prison companies’ scheme to expand their revenue by exploiting new markets in healthcare, treatment, and re-entry. Read more about Things are just as bad as we feared at a “civil commitment center” in Texas
February 25, 2018 by Bethany N. Carson