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The Holocaust forced Germany to fundamentally change how it incarcerates people. In America, slavery morphed into mass incarceration.
“We tried to explain to our German colleagues the American affair with mass incarceration and its link to genocide and slavery. We said, ‘Imagine if you were to walk into one of your prisons today 80 years after the Holocaust and saw that 70 percent of the people in prison were Jews. What would that be like? ’They responded, ‘That would be unthinkable.’” Read the full article here
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 We did it! HB 3078 has just passed the Texas Legislature and heads to the Governor's desk! This bill establishes a specialized panel of experts under the Board of Pardons and Paroles to (1) advise the Board regarding grants of clemency to persons who were under duress or coerced into committing offenses that were a direct result of, or incident to, trafficking and/or intimate partner violence; and (2) permit the Governor to grant clemency based upon the recommendations of this panel.
The vast majority of juveniles in Texas prisons were victimized prior to their incarceration, and survivors are sometimes arrested and convicted of crimes that are directly tied to their victimization. This purpose of this bill is to provide relief to those survivors. Please join me in thanking Chairwoman Senfronia Thompson Joe Moody Tan Parker State Rep James White and Alma A. Allen for coauthoring HB 3078, and Judith Zaffirini for sponsoring this important bill in the Senate! Thank you to everyone who fought for this bill from day one until (literally) the last day bills could be voted out of the Senate, including Elizabeth Ross Hadley Heather McMinn Doug Deason Stacy Hock Lindsey Linder Bill Hammond Ellen Arnold Marc Levin Lauren Johnson Gabby Fuentes, Kaycie Alexander, Cathy Marston Free Battered Texas Women Michael Barba Traci Berry Kyle Ward Lori Henning Crutchfield Lone Star Justice Alliance Texas Criminal Justice Coalition Texas Smart-On-Crime Coalition Right on Crime Goodwill Central Texas Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Texas PTA and more! All of your hard work payed off! HB 3078 is headed to the Governor's Desk! "It is difficult to think of greater deprivations of that liberty than the government's allowing someone to be held in prison without telling him that there is evidence that might exonerate him," Judge Costa wrote. "Due process requires more than we afford the accused today."
Read the full article here Saturday night, LSJA's Executive Director, Elizabeth Henneke, won the Austin Under 40 Award in the Legal category. She was recognized along with 4 other incredible women who passionately advocate for their clients and strive to make our community stronger for all. Nearly two years ago, the Lone Star Justice Alliance was started to change the conversation about the incarceration of children and emerging adults. Yulise Reaves Waters, Blake Bowers, Gabby Fuentes and a host of talented, passionate, crazy smart interns have brought that dream to a reality with the incredible support of our Board of Directors, Caroline Kim, Keri Narramore McDonald, Larry Robinson, Caitlin Higgins Bailey, Phillip J. Yates, Doug Deason, Ashley Pettus and Allen Rothman. We’ve partnered with incredible stakeholders and allies too numerous to list here but who each work every day with equal parts passion and expertise. We share this with all of them and with the children we serve. Thank you to the entire Austin Under 40 team for recognizing this work. We are beyond humbled by the honor.
“Black girls are being criminalized at alarming rates. They are hobbled by negative societal stereotypes that stretch back to slavery. By educators, counselors, caseworkers and judges who fail to address their trauma and emotional needs. By school discipline policies that push black girls out of school and punish them more often and more harshly than their white peers.”
Read the full article here "The Austin Under 40 Awards have become a celebrated institution. We hope that you will allow us to share this moment of recognition with the thousands of children who tonight will sleep in cold dark cells, and we call upon each of you to help us bring those children home."
The 21st Annual Austin Under 40 Awards ceremony will take place downtown on Saturday, May 18. LSJA's Executive Director, Elizabeth Henneke, has been named a finalist in the Legal Category. Elizabeth, along with Meme Styles, Founder of Measure; Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Owner of Lincoln Goldfinch Law, an immigration firm; and Mimi Marziani, President of Texas Civil Rights Project, all finalists, have joined together to call upon our community to Stand Up for Incarcerated Children. Read the full op-ed here Texas must value the true costs of childhood trauma [Opinion] by tan parker, the Houston Chronicle5/9/2019 "But childhood adversity does not have to dictate a child’s future health and success. By appropriately addressing ACEs (as well as root causes), children and families can build resiliency, allowing them to thrive despite adversity. Research shows a supportive, responsive relationship with an adult in early life can prevent or mitigate the damaging effects resulting from childhood exposure to chronically stressful experiences."
Read the full article here  Lone Star Justice Alliance founder and lawyer Elizabeth Henneke (right) spoke to the House Select Committee of the 86th Texas Legislature on November 12 on Opioids and Substance abuse. Per the report, “Ms. Henneke recommends Texas adopt alternatives to incarceration that redirect resources from the criminal justice system to public health social services to better address the needs of those with a SUD. With community services, all can benefit, and not just individuals involved in criminal justice.”
Other elements to address substance abuse in the criminal justice system:
https://house.texas.gov/_media/pdf/committees/reports/85interim/Interim-Report-Select-Committee-on-Opioids-Substance-Abuse-2018.pdf Kirby notified several partner organizations of Grassroots' Decarcerate ATX campaign, which aims to reduce incarceration and its inordinate impact on communities of color. These included Lone Star Justice Alliance, Texas Advocates for Justice, Texas Appleseed, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, and Texas Fair Defense Project – "all the folks in the community that should be a part of the conversation," Kirby said. "And it was a total surprise to all of us."
https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2018-01-26/travis-county-plans-new-womens-jail/ "Life without parole became an option because of a turnaway from the death penalty," said Elizabeth Henneke executive director of the Lone Star Justice Alliance. "It was considered a more humane option than the death penalty and increasingly juries seemed to be uncomfortable with death as the only option.
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Harris-County-leads-Texas-in-life-without-parole-12491890.php |
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