May 19, 2016 by Holly Kirby
Grassroots Leadership is pleased to welcome Lewis Conway, Jr. to our team as our Criminal Justice Program Associate for the summer 2016! Lewis will be supporting our local criminal justice work, including outreach and planning for our upcoming Texas Advocates for Justice organizing training in Austin. [node:read-more:link]
April 28, 2016 by Bob Libal
Grassroots Leadership notes the departure of Kymberlie Quong Charles, our Criminal Justice Programs Director, who will leave our staff at the end of April. [node:read-more:link]
April 9, 2016 by Bob Libal
Today's Chicago Tribune has a story about the fight in Gary, Indiana over a new immigrant detention center proposed by private prison corporation GEO Group. The new for-profit prison is heavily opposed by local immigrant rights groups, Black Lives Matters protesters, and members of the faith community. According to the Tribune: [node:read-more:link]
April 7, 2016 by Rebecca Sanchez
Jorge comes to Grassroots Leadership after a long journey, from prison to walking the halls of the Texas Lege as a policy analyst for the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and as an organizer with the Center for Community Change. An occasional slam poet and a fulltime believer in the necessity of those most affected by policy to be at the forefront of change, Jorge now is devoted to assisting the incredible work of the individuals in the Texas Advocates for Justice as they chop away at the roots of incarceration. [node:read-more:link]
March 28, 2016 by Holly Kirby
Last Thursday night, organizing efforts by a powerful group of formerly incarcerated people and their allies made history by making Austin the first Fair Chance Hiring City in the South! Austin City Council voted 8-2 to pass a Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance — an anti-discrimination policy that moves the background check to the end of the hiring process for most private employers, allowing candidates to be considered based on their merits first, without the stigma of a conviction history. [node:read-more:link]
March 22, 2016 by Holly Kirby
This Thursday, Austin City Council will debate and vote on a Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance that will allow individuals with a conviction history to fairly compete for jobs, without the stigma of a criminal record.
We need your help to send a strong message to councilmembers that you support a Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance that seeks to restore civil rights and combat institutional racism in our city! Here are 3 things you can do this week to join the fight: [node:read-more:link]
March 21, 2016 by Bethany N. Carson
March 9, 2016 by Bob Libal
A new report released today by Grassroots Leadership details the strategic expansion by private prison corporations to fill profit gaps from efforts to reduce mass incarceration through an emerging Treatment Industrial Complex. [node:read-more:link]
February 23, 2016 by Holly Kirby
Grassroots Leadership is pleased to welcome Rebecca Sanchez as our new Administration and Development Associate! Rebecca first came to Grassroots Leadership as a volunteer to help coordinate our 35th Anniversary campaign and celebration, made her way into our hearts, and now joins our full time staff. [node:read-more:link]
February 22, 2016 by Holly Kirby
In the coming weeks, Austin City Council will be debating a Fair Chance Hiring (FCH) ordinance aimed at eliminating employment discrimination against individuals in Austin with a criminal record. This would be a huge step toward creating a more equitable Austin, strengthening our communities, and dismantling institutional racism in our city.
What exactly is Fair Chance Hiring? [node:read-more:link]
