Grassroots Leadership Blog

Incoming sheriff can tackle criminal justice reform while stopping deportations

October 27, 2016 by Holly Kirby

By Alejandro Caceres and Jorge Antonio Renaud

A recent Statesman editorial (Wanted: Sheriff who keeps Austin out of Legislature crosshairs, Sept. 24) about the race for Travis County Sheriff suggested that we cannot have both criminal justice reforms and an end to deportations in Travis County. We couldn’t disagree more. We see everyday why you cannot stack a broken immigration system on top of a broken criminal justice system and expect a more just world. [node:read-more:link]

Hilda and Ivan are free at last!

October 27, 2016 by Jake Crowther

Hilda Ramirez is finally able to leave St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church after she and her son Ivan spent the past 8 months in sanctuary there. Hilda and Ivan were granted deferred action of one year by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which means they are not at risk of deportation for the next year. [node:read-more:link]

Dr. Satsuki Ina: Licensing family detention as "childcare" harkens back to WWII-era euphisms

October 20, 2016 by Bob Libal

The following is an excerpt of Dr. Satsuki Ina's letter to top officials at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services last December as the agency moved forward a proposal to license controversial family detention centers in an effort to keep them open.  We thought this was timely to repost because litigation brought by detained moms and Grassroots Leadership to prohibit the state from licensing family detention centers as childcare facilities may be decided later this month. [node:read-more:link]

EXPOSED: 6 types of abuse reported by women from inside for-profit Laredo detention center, DHS still reviewing ties to private prisons

October 12, 2016 by Bethany N. Carson

As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigates its use of private prisons, women currently and formerly detained in two CCA-operated immigrant detention centers in Texas are speaking out against abuses in the facilities. 

Their letters from inside are exposing grossly inadequate medical care and health conditions; unsanitary facilities; sickening food; verbal abuse & harsh, punitive treatment; re-traumatization of survivors of violence; interference with phone conversations. 

Translation: “Just like you want to support us, we too are willing to support ourselves and will not stay quiet about the abuse of our rights that we have been victims of.” [node:read-more:link]

Police Chief Acevedo, join us in calling for an end to private immigrant prisons

October 7, 2016 by Bethany N. Carson

Private immigrant detention facilities are notorious for their long list of abuses: inedible food, inadequate medical treatment, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, lack of due process, death due to denied medical treatment, poor hygiene, unsafe living conditions, etc. Last month the Bureau of Prisons announced they will be phasing out private prisons within their department. [node:read-more:link]

Watch our new film, (In)Securus Technology: An Assault on Prisoner Rights

September 27, 2016 by Holly Kirby

One year ago today we celebrated the announced return of in-person visitation to the Travis County Jail here in Texas. The news came after a nearly 2-year fight led by those who had experienced video jail visits first-hand, and not only brought in-person visits back to Travis County, but also passed state legislation that will prevent other counties from replacing in-person visits with video chats.  

Though we are happy that we could celebrate a victory in Travis County and Texas, we know this company continues to reap massive profits while countless individuals across the country are denied access to see their incarcerated loved one face-to-face. [node:read-more:link]

Congrats and good luck, Cate!

September 9, 2016 by Holly Kirby

Cate Graziani, our mental health campaigns coordinator, will be completing a Fulbright fellowship in Portugal from September 2016 to May 2017. Though we will miss her over the next eight months, we are excited to see what she uncovers! Here is a brief description of her project: [node:read-more:link]

Welcome our new Hutto Visitation Intern, Victoria Jara!

September 8, 2016 by Rebecca Sanchez

Victoria comes to Grassroots Leadership with a passion for social, economic, and racial justice. Originally from Miami with family from Peru, she studied Biological Psychology at New College of Florida, where she was the President of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and organized around impacts of the war on drugs. [node:read-more:link]

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