When it comes to Care Not Cages for our communities in Austin and Houston, we are intentional about emphasizing holistic approaches in our efforts to build a movement.
Care Not Cages in Houston and Counsel at First Appearance (CAFA) in Austin represent two strategic initiatives that our organizers and grassroots members have chosen to put into action.
Our dedication to these programs underscores our commitment to meaningful change and community empowerment.
We Need Care, Not Cages!
Safety and justice begins with reclaiming empathy, acknowledging each other’s humanity, and uniting to advance practices that create autonomy for us, our neighbors, and our families.
Did you know that there are over 9,000 individuals currently incarcerated in Harris County Jail? Shockingly, approximately 2 out of 3 individuals are being held on pretrial detention, which means they have not yet been convicted of a crime and are legally innocent. It is also important to note that many of these individuals are unable to afford cash bail, which is why they remain in jail.
Grassroots Leadership and Texas Advocates for Justice are reintroducing our "Care Not Cages" campaign to address ongoing issues where the injustice system repeatedly and exhaustingly continues to fail our communities. Texas Advocates for Justice is made up of residents throughout the Travis and Harris County areas. We are grandparents, mothers, fathers, family members, and loved ones who have experienced what the criminal and immigration systems have done to Black and brown people throughout the state of Texas.
We are expanding our organizing efforts to address the importance of holistic representation in the legal process. We have put together our concerns and solutions to address care, not cages, regarding Harris County Jails! Our approach for the Care Not Cages campaign is to push for policies that reduce the number of people in our county jails and ensure everyone has access to holistic legal representation at every step of the legal process.
With the coalition participation and valued input, these specific campaign demands are subject to change as our coalition expands and grows to #DecarcerateTX
Advocacy organizations are calling for immediate action from Travis County officials regarding the implementation of Counsel At First Appearance (CAFA) for all detainees in the Travis County Jail.