2022 Tax Form 990 Narrative - Texas Jail Project

Advocacy, Organizing & Policy

In December 2021, we completed 14 bailouts of pretrial individuals in one month via our community bail fund in Tyler (Smith county) and successfully advocated for charges to be dropped against 4 other community members whom we bailed out last year – reuniting people with their families, communities, and networks of care
Out of the 47 bailouts we conducted in one county in 2021, to reunite community members with their families and networks of care, we successfully advocated for charges to be dropped in 15 cases.
We successfully took 3 community members off the forensic (competency restoration) waitlist in one East TX county jail and diverted to mental health care in the community thus avoiding criminalization. From 2020, we have managed to get 9 people diverted from the forensic waitlist and prevented the criminalization of their mental illness.
Statewide, we advocated for and supported diversion of 13 individuals from pretrial detention into programs thus preventing criminalization.
In Dallas county, we successfully advocated for a young man with disabilities who has been confined for 4 years pretrial to be removed from the jail and transferred to a local hospital
Through aggressive and creative advocacy in Bexar county, we overturned a previous conviction of a young transgender community member with an intellectual disability
We facilitated public comment at the Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services (under Health and Human Services) by a community member whose loved one with mental illness had been awaiting competency restoration in a rural county jail for over 2 years
We referred and facilitated complaints on 7 cases to Health and Human Services Commission Ombudsman for investigation into gaps in continuity of care by Local Mental Health Authorities which had led to criminalization of their clients
Developed a crisis hotline to field intakes, connecting with over 100 families to assist them in navigating the court appointed attorney system
Interviewed dozens of defendants confined in Segovia and Briscoe units in order to file complaints to TCJS and to craft a facility conditions affidavit for the Department of Justice
Facilitated a New York Times interview with one of our clients who was released and deported because of Operation Lonestar
Briefed Mexican American Legislative Caucus on OLS conditions
Supported & helped facilitate community meeting of targeted Hispanic fishermen in Victoria county with Texas Civil Rights Project
Created an informational and bilingual “Know Your Rights” video for families seeking information on their loved ones impacted by Operation Lonestar
We partnered with Florida LGBTQ Freedom Fund to successfully bail out one transgender American citizen who was arrested under Operation Lone Star and held pretrial in a TX prison unit.
We filed two extensive complaints on conditions issues in Operation Lone Star with the state regulatory agency. These complaints went on to become part of a DOJ complaint filed by the statewide coalition of organizations comprising TX Fair Defense Project, TX Civil Rights Project, Grassroots Leadership, ACLU TX and immigration rights groups.
At February’s rescheduled quarterly meeting of Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS), we facilitated two community members’ travel to Austin – a mother whose disabled son experienced assault and neglect in Taylor county, and a formerly incarcerated woman who brought testimonies from 20 other women still incarcerated in Taylor county jail.
We also organized against TCJS’ accessibility barriers to participation that excluded other folks from joining. While Sheriffs and commissioners were granted an exemption to speak virtually, the same courtesy was not extended to families and members of the public despite severe winter weather and an ongoing pandemic.
We successfully mounted a call-in campaign that forced TCJS to read testimony from a third member into the minutes of the meeting, and shut down the proceedings for several minutes to ensure it would be livestreamed for the public.
Our organizing yielded a joint complaint signed by eight organizations regarding the lack of accessibility and virtual participation. The commission has committed to finding a solution for the next meeting in May.
After a beloved daughter and community member–was arrested in epileptic crisis and hospitalized for jail neglect, we mobilized quickly in support of her and her family. Demanding the resignation of Sheriff Waybourn, TJP brought out dozens of community members and ally organizations in a solidarity rally at Tarrant County Commissioner’s Court. Organized with congregants of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth to mobilize their Social Justice group in testifying to Commissioner’s Court to support our community demands.
Organized and spoke at Jaquaree Simmons’ memorial and commemorative balloon release outside Harris county jail on the one year anniversary of his murder in Harris county jail.
Co-hosted Punishing Ourselves: When Incarceration and Health Collide with Doctors For Change – an educational panel for physicians and health providers to engage more critically on issues facing patients with histories of arrest.
Presented at webinar of Womxn in Medicine – a student group in Bexar county on medical issues and challenges to medical care in county jails
Hosted a writing workshop for 4 women in Taylor and Cooke counties to prepare comments for the quarterly meeting of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards
Participated in 3 innovative trainings for public defenders and defense attorneys: Spoke at the Wood County Bar Association, and collaborated with our partners at Zealous to train defense attorneys on best practices for engaging with community advocates and movement organizers
Organized and hosted a solidarity march from Harris County Jail to call for urgent jail depopulation efforts and to raise awareness of the county’s $11 million contract with LaSalle Corrections, a for-profit prison company. With more than 60 attendees on a sunny, humid Saturday morning, we sent a clear message to elected officials that community members are organized, mobilized, and engaged with a new vision of safety in Harris county.
TJP’s executive director Krish Gundu was invited to join the Data Committee of the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health and the Texas Coordinating Council on Veterans Services to participate on the Criminal Justice, Pro Bono, and Mental Health committees.
Joined Liberate HTX and the #NationalStopShotSpotter Campaign in organizing a community event with free food, harm reduction resources, live music, and speakers to shed light on the harms of surveillance technology in the Houston area. Tabled at the event, distributing free loaded transit fare cards for attendees, and gathering signatures for the Community Safety Budget led by TJP. Endorsing organizations include Grassroots Leadership, Woori Juntos, MOVE Texas, Tahirih Justice Center, Restoring Justice, Texas Civil Rights Project, Civil Rights Corps and others.
In Harris County, we’ve partnered with Civil Rights Corps and the Police Accountability Collaborative to advance a new, holistic vision of community safety. Across two convenings, we’ve collaborated with more than 30 local organizations across issues like housing, environmental justice and survivor safety to produce a collaborative, non-carceral vision statement of safety and wellbeing in Houston. At the September 13 Budget Adoption hearing, TJP turned out more than 15 speakers and 30 written comments, united in a shared vision for community safety budgeting in Harris County. By the end of the budget period, we grew the coalition to over 70 organizations and 100+ individuals who provided 340+ public comments in support of public health, housing, mental health care and environmental and pollution justice as a path to public safety. We won language accessibility in the budget process. Harris county is the only county in the country to now provide budget materials in Spanish and Vietnamese.

TJP Community organizer Dalila attended the Help, Hope & Healing Mental Health Conference of East Texas, distributing information about our work and educating attendees (including elected officials) on the mental health crisis in Smith County Jail.
Supported via community participation – the Judicial Commission on Mental Health’s SIM Mapping Workshop in Smith County – an event designed “to tap into community expertise to illustrate how individuals with mental health, behavioral health, and/or substance abuse needs flow through their local criminal [legal] system by bringing together local partners.”
Facilitated community participation in Grayson County SIM Mapping Workshop by sponsoring expense and transportation stipends for attendees harmed by the criminal legal system.
Provided rapid intervention in support of a Denton community member who lost his arm from medical neglect in Denton County Jail. TJP’s North Texas Organizer Tamera supported the Denton Community Bail Fund to raise awareness, encourage rally turnout, and garner media attention on Denton County Jail’s systemic failures.
Led the breakout panel The Delicate Dance: Civilian Oversight of Local Jails at Vera Institute’s In Our Backyards National Convening, The session analyzed and compared models of oversight and prepared organizations to build strategies for monitoring jail conditions, reducing harm, and advocating with incarcerated communities.
In response to the global outbreak, we consulted with correctional health experts to develop & disseminate jail Monkeypox mitigation recommendations to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and local officials in high-risk counties.
Provided rapid response help and resources to undocumented immigrants jailed pretrial under Operation Lone Star. Findings of our work monitoring conditions of confinement were used in a class action lawsuit filed by individuals unconstitutionally profiled, kidnapped and detained under Operation Lone Star.
For ten months actively monitored jail outsourcing activity across the State–taking a more active role in analyzing contracts, crafting depopulation briefs as alternatives to outsourcing, requesting public records, fighting for an end to out-of-state transfers, and advocating for individuals affected by them. Published data for community to show that 100 local jails are paying to confine people elsewhere–more than 40% of all jails in Texas.
Filed groundbreaking complaints based on jail canvassing work and jail staff whistleblower network developed as a result of canvassing outside Harris County Jail that led to the jail being found non-compliant. It continues to be non-compliant in 2023.
Organized to push Texas Health and Human Services published new data showing the race demographics of Texas’ forensic hospital waitlist of people stuck in jails waiting for competency restoration. The new data, published on January 26, revealed a horrific racial disparity: Black community members with disabilities are being forced to wait, on average, more than 100 days longer than their white counterparts for certain state hospital beds.
Fiscally sponsored a six month participatory defense project in Montgomery County via JustUS Participatory Defense that forced the county to open up their magistration and bail hearings to the public and brought to light gaps in the quality of counsel provided by court appointed attorneys.
On invitation from TCJS – Executive Director attended two Rulemaking Workgroup meetings to provide expertise on translation of laws to minimum standards and administrative code. Of note was new law on providing pregnant people with mental health care and OB-GYN consultations post assault or traumatic events in jails.
On invitation from TCJS – Executive Director attended two meetings of the legislatively mandated Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee. Subsequently appointed as de facto member of the committee without voting rights.

Casework

Conducted 81 interviews during Harris county jail canvassing under Freedom Stories – Success of Misdemeanor Bail Reform project funded by Arnold Ventures to highlight positive impact of misdemeanor bail reform.
Received 871 emails and 413 phone calls from individuals on our HelpLine. Responded to over 36% of emails and over 49% of phone calls. Received a total of 581 letters from county jails. Direct response rate to letters was under 20%. But overall actions taken to file complaints with various state agencies and provide referrals and resources to incarcerated people and their families was over 60%.

Narrative Shift

Successfully pushed over 50 stories in local, state and national media including the New York Times. TJP was quoted and interviewed in 31 stories. Nearly 40% of the statewide stories published on county jail issues including bail policies were our pitches.
Our executive director co-wrote an essay on Harris county jail deaths that was published in Slate.
Helped write and publish one essay in a county newspaper for the legal guardian of a young woman with Intellectual and Developmental Disability (I/DD) who almost lost her life in Tarrant county jail.
Executive director was invited on Democracy Now to speak about the overcrowding and jail deaths in Harris county jail.
Pitched and successfully got local TV station ABC13 to cover Harris county jail custody deaths with extensive interviews from TJP team member Gabriela, community members and jail staff whistleblowers cultivated from our organizing.

Direct Aid & Stipends

Disbursed $5,000 in stipends to 10 participants in the Custody Death Memorial Quilt Project – a collaboration with nationally renowned and formerly incarcerated artist Jesse Krimes.
Cash disbursals of total $1542 to four community members from BLM Giving Tuesday fundraiser which kicked off in November 2021.
Cash disbursals of over $38,000 to 25 recipients across 15+ counties for housing, utilities, and food to individuals and families impacted by Texas county jails.
Over $15,000 in 119 jail commissary and jail phone account deposits enabling incarcerated community members to keep vital communication lines open with family, counsel and advocates and to support medical needs, essential sanitary needs and food during pretrial incarceration.
Over $2,000 in post-release care packages, transportation and other essential needs disbursed to 26 out of the 81 individuals interviewed outside Harris county jail as part of the Freedom Stories – Misdemeanor Bail Reform Success stories funded by Arnold Ventures. $1,300 disbursed in stipends for interviews.