Houston In Action Fellow (He/Him)

Why do you do this work?

There is an unsaid track that formally incarcerated people are supposed to be on, and that direction leads to longer sentencing if a person doesn't "do right" by the law. It's like we are constantly in chains (figuratively and, for some people, realistically). I want to show and support people that it doesn't have to be that way.

Executive Director (She/Her)

Why do you do this work?

I see the harm the criminal legal system brings and how it affects many Black and brown individuals who made a mistake or committed a crime to survive. I seek true liberation from the slave mentality and bondage the criminal legal system imposes on Black and brown bodies. I seek freedom!

Administrative Assistant (She/Her)

Why do you do this work?

I know what dealing with the trauma left inside us after incarceration is like. I also know that I flourished the greatest when involved in my progress, felt heard, and was better informed. I will continue to advocate and encourage others to use their voice on our journey to change the criminal legal system.

Participatory Defense Organizer - Austin (He/Him)

Why do you do this work?

I do this work so that my life's losses and lessons are not in vain, and if not me, then who? #IncarceratedLivesMatter.

Participatory Defense and Bond Fund Organizer - Houston (He/Him/His)

Why do you do this work?

It was during my early adult years when he got a front-seat look at how the pressures of the criminal legal system and one's circumstances could cause doubt and fear. From that day moving forward, I have made it my mission to advocate for a fair and equitable justice system for all.

Learn more about the work Car is doing here

Participatory Defense and Bail Fund Organizer - Austin (She/Her)

Why do you do this work?

I’m invested in the liberation of those oppressed by society's norms. I'm encouraged to change the status quo and fight for equitable representation for those communities.

Learn more about the work Chantel is doing here

Policy and Research Organizer (He/Him/El)

Why do you do this work?

The criminal legal system, with its myriad carceral manifestations, has long been the preferred weapon of oppression in the United States. As someone who has survived it, I know that our liberation will provide liberation for everyone. It is time to destroy our oppressors' tools.

Deputy Director - Houston (She/Her)

Why do you do this work?

This systemic behavior of cages verse treatment has done nothing to make our communities safer. Instead, it has continued to fuel the mass incarceration of Black and brown people, so I advocate for justice and will fight to transform those harmful policies in our communities.

Development Manager (She/Her)

Why do you do this work?

We can make a substantiated change when we find commonalities and work towards a common goal. I no longer want to be a product of a society that causes the most harm to impacted individuals and communities of the carceral system. I want to be a part of the change.

Director of Finance (He/Him)

Why do you do this work?

I can't stand by when people in my community are criminalized and made vulnerable by white supremacist culture in uniforms.

I have to use my skills to support the front-line organizers in building power and keeping people out of cages.

Communications Director (She/Her/Ella)

Why do you do this work?

I believe in the power of storytelling and ensuring our communities have the tools they need to speak up against the systems that harm us to win meaningful and long-lasting change.

Criminal Justice Organizer - (She/Her/Ella)

Why do you do this work?

I firmly believe that every human deserves dignity, respect, and the right to self-determination—criminalization and incarceration impact all of us, not just the people locked up.

Learn more about the work Micki is doing here

Policy and Research Organizer (He/Him/El)

Why do you do this work?

The trauma of family separation is intense, debilitating, and perpetual. The system took away my father, and I never got to know him or share my life; I believe another world is possible where we are supported and cared for and have goodwill and patience to restore each person. People with unmet needs deserve our love.

Digital Organizing Coordinator (She/Her)

Why do you do this work?

If we're moving towards abolition, we must become creative in all the intersected areas to dismantle an unjust system. That starts with developing spaces where we feel heard, seen, and represented in marketing for organizations working to end crimmigration.

Immigration Campaign Manager (Ella/She/Her)

Why do you do this work?

I am directly affected by the Immigration prison system, and the only way to change the system is by taking action and organizing with the community.

Learn more about the work Sulma is doing here

Texas Advocates for Justice Organizer - Austin (They/Them)

Why do you do this work?

As a system-impacted woman, I must use my voice to raise awareness of the harm created by taking away agency from individuals. When our communities are being targeted, families are being separated, immigrants are being detained, and queer is feared because they are different is preposterous.

Learn more about the work Sybil is doing here