As the year winds down, we wish you a wonderful holiday season. We also wanted to take a look back at some of what we’ve accomplished. Thanks to our staff, volunteers, allies, and donors, Grassroots Leadership has done some extraordinary things this year. Here’s just a sample:
- We began the year successfully advocating to block the opening of new Hutto-like immigrant family detention centers by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Now, we’ve undertaken a campaign with our allies to close one of the worst immigrant detention centers in the U.S. - the privately-operated Polk County Detention Center in Livingston, Texas.
- In Florida, we helped local groups win a “miracle campaign” that stopped the state from turning over twenty-nine prisons to for-profit prison corporations andstopped a new private immigrant detention center outside Miami.
- Deep in the heart of Texas, private prison corporation GEO Group wanted to take over the Kerrville State Hospital. We brought together a coalition of advocacy groups and local leaders to organize against the proposal. And, we won! In October, Texas announced it had canceled privatization plans at the hospital.
- Grassroots Leadership’s report Operation Streamline: Costs and Consequences and subsequent advocacy is helping influence the national debate against a program that is driving tens of thousands of migrants into the criminal justice system and is swelling the private prison population.
- Our Grassroots Leadership Blog has taken off with “The Humpday Hall of Shame” entries exposes ties between prison corporations and elected officials and “Social Justice Heroes” posts to highlight good word being done across the country.
All of this work relies on the hard work of our staff, board, and many volunteers. It also takes resources, and we are deeply grateful for every donation.
Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Grassroots Leadership for the holidays. You can contribute online or by mailing a check to Grassroots Leadership, P.O. Box 36006, Charlotte, NC, 28236. Better yet, become a monthly sustainer of the organization.
Thank you for your support.
Bob Libal
Grassroots Leadership
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