Providing Justice and Dignity To Survivors:
Apply for Assistance From The Survivors’ Project
The Texas justice system currently incarcerates men, women, and children whose crimes were a direct result of, or incident to, human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and other abuse1. Too often the justice system fails to see these individuals as survivors of crime in need of a trauma-informed response to their victimization, and instead prosecutes them for their own crimes and too often for the crimes of their abusers. According to the Texas Attorney General’s office, there are as many as 234,000 victims of trafficking in Texas at any time, and as many as 79,000 victims of youth and minor sex trafficking, who are predominately young women and girls2.
It is time to stop prosecuting survivors for offenses stemming from their victimization.
The Survivor's Project is a collaborative effort of more than 30 partner organizations, attorneys, and experts aiming to provide free legal advice and assistance to any survivor of human trafficking or domestic violence interested in applying for clemency. Individuals have the opportunity to submit an application made possible by the new process enacted by Governor Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which aims to provide justice and redemption to trafficking and domestic violence victims3. The Survivors Project will work with survivors to connect them with pro bono lawyers to prepare and submit applications for clemency.
Who Should Apply?
Individuals with criminal convictions resulting from their abuse or exploitation are encouraged to apply, including:
- Survivors of human trafficking
- Survivors of domestic violence
How to Apply?
Apply for assistance from the Survivors’ Project here:
Online Screening Application for Pro Bono Assistance
During this initial round of intakes, LSJA will only receive applications via the online form above. The document below is only for reference and cannot be used as substitution for the online form. LSJA intends to broaden its process to those unable to complete an electronic submission at a later date. Please check back here for more information.
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| PDF Version (Pro Bono Screening Appplication) |
What Will Happen Next?
Once in receipt of your application, our pro bono intake team will review applications to determine whether an individual should (1) be provided free materials to file their own petition, (2) referred to a workshop led by volunteers to learn more about the petition, or (3) referred to pro bono attorneys for more personalized assistance.
A Note About Confidentiality
The Survivors' Project takes every effort to maintain the confidentiality of all submissions by requiring all volunteers, attorneys, and staff to sign a confidentiality agreement; however, it cannot guarantee strict confidentiality of materials submitted through this intake process.
Questions?
For any additional questions about the Survivor’s Project, please contact strevino@lsja.org
Once in receipt of your application, our pro bono intake team will review applications to determine whether an individual should (1) be provided free materials to file their own petition, (2) referred to a workshop led by volunteers to learn more about the petition, or (3) referred to pro bono attorneys for more personalized assistance.
A Note About Confidentiality
The Survivors' Project takes every effort to maintain the confidentiality of all submissions by requiring all volunteers, attorneys, and staff to sign a confidentiality agreement; however, it cannot guarantee strict confidentiality of materials submitted through this intake process.
Questions?
For any additional questions about the Survivor’s Project, please contact strevino@lsja.org