Lone Star Justice Alliance
Lone Star Justice Alliance advocates for a justice system that treats youth and emerging adults with equity and dignity, focusing on evidence-based programs and policy reforms to address systemic failures.
Mission and Vision
Lone Star Justice Alliance advocates for a justice system that treats kids as kids. Its mission is to address systemic failures in the justice system through advocacy and innovative evidence-based programs. The organization's vision is a justice system that uses developmentally-appropriate responses to behavior and treats youth and emerging adults with equity and dignity.
Strategy and Approach
Lone Star Justice Alliance's strategy involves using evidence-based responses to behavior, informed by research in adolescent development, brain science, and social science. The organization focuses on youth and emerging adults, especially those of color, who are at high risk of becoming involved in the criminal legal system. It works to transform the justice system to be responsive to the unique needs of these groups.
ReImagine Justice Program
The ReImagine Justice Program of Lone Star Justice Alliance cultivates connections with community-based organizations, defense counsel, directly-impacted individuals, and stakeholders to shift narratives and drive change at the local level. The program aims to foster collaboration and community-based alternatives that address the failures in the criminal legal system.
JustCareers Workforce Program
The JustCareers program connects justice-impacted individuals with employers and provides training in high-demand careers. Participants are paid for both classroom and job site time. The program also includes employer training on adolescent brain development, Trust-Based Relationship Interventions (TBRI), Trauma-Informed Care, and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). In July 2021, JustCareers launched ConnectU2Jobs in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation’s Civil Rights Division, providing heavy equipment certification opportunities for justice-involved emerging adults.
Policy Advocacy
Lone Star Justice Alliance engages in policy advocacy to advance legislation that increases public safety, reduces costs, and improves outcomes for youth and emerging adults statewide. The organization supports diversionary interventions, enhances community-based services, and promotes the expansion of existing mental health workforce programs. Additionally, it advocates for developing plans to divert youth from secure facilities and promote the Mercy for Survivors and Clean Slate initiatives.
Youth Sentencing Project
The Youth Sentencing Project promotes the use of developmental science throughout the juvenile legal system. It provides direct strategic litigation for youth tried in the adult criminal system and given long prison sentences. The project focuses on fighting the transfer of children from the juvenile to the adult system in both pre-adjudication and post-conviction cases. The initiative aims to integrate mental health support and advocacy for justice-involved youth.
Survivors' Project
The Survivors' Project by Lone Star Justice Alliance aims to end the incarceration of children in Texas who are survivors of human trafficking and interpersonal violence. It works to obtain clemency for those convicted of crimes tied to their victimization. The Ron Jackson Project, a part of this initiative, represents child survivors of sex trafficking detained in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
ReImagine Justice Coalition
The ReImagine Justice Coalition seeks to harness the power of community to shift policies and practices that perpetuate cycles of justice system involvement and racial inequities. The coalition focuses on systemic change through strategic connections with various community-based organizations, defense counsel, and stakeholders. It employs data-driven research and evidence-based practices to guide decision-making and develop scalable, impactful reforms.