Lone Star Justice Alliance

Lone Star Justice Alliance is dedicated to reforming the justice system to treat youth and emerging adults, particularly those aged 17 to 24 and from communities of color, with equity and dignity. The organization’s mission is to address systemic failures through advocacy and innovative, evidence-based programs. Their vision is a justice system that uses developmentally-appropriate responses to behavior, informed by research in adolescent development, brain science, and social science. Lone Star Justice Alliance focuses on transforming the justice system to be responsive to the unique needs of youth and emerging adults, employing strategies like the ReImagine Justice Program, which collaborates with community-based organizations and stakeholders to drive local change, and the JustSentencing Project, which supports strategic litigation to amend Texas’ penal and family codes. Their Transformative Justice initiatives include JustCareers, a workforce program that connects justice-impacted individuals with employers and provides training in high-demand careers. The organization also engages in policy advocacy to advance legislation that increases public safety, reduces costs, and improves outcomes for youth and emerging adults. Additional initiatives include the Mercy for Survivors, Clean Slate, and Survivors’ Projects, which aim to provide legal and mental health support, end the incarceration of child survivors of human trafficking and interpersonal violence, and obtain clemency for those convicted due to their victimization. Through strategic connections, data-driven research, and evidence-based practices, Lone Star Justice Alliance works at both state and national levels to reimagine responses to behavior and promote systemic change.