Bill Text: TX HR1177 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing April 2023 as Second Chance Month and honoring Maggie Luna and Jennifer Toon for their contributions as activists for criminal justice reform and rehabilitation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-04-26 - Reported enrolled [HR1177 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR1177-Enrolled.html
H.R. No. 1177 |
|
||
WHEREAS, April 2023 has been recognized by presidential | ||
proclamation as Second Chance Month to honor those who have | ||
successfully reentered society after being incarcerated and to pay | ||
tribute to the community groups, faith-based organizations, and | ||
employers that are helping to reduce recidivism among former | ||
inmates; and | ||
WHEREAS, Individuals who have been incarcerated face | ||
significant barriers in returning to life outside of a detention | ||
facility; those who have successfully made that transition are | ||
worthy of recognition, not only because of the challenges they have | ||
overcome but also because of the positive example they provide to | ||
others who are walking the same path; and | ||
WHEREAS, The State of Texas is home to many men and women who | ||
have transcended their troubled pasts to become productive | ||
citizens; among their numbers are Maggie Luna and Jennifer Toon, | ||
who are helping to make a difference in the lives of others who have | ||
faced obstacles following reentry; and | ||
WHEREAS, Since her release from prison, Maggie Luna has | ||
dedicated herself to empowering, organizing, and mobilizing others | ||
at the state and local levels to enact meaningful change for inmates | ||
and formerly incarcerated individuals, which she has accomplished | ||
chiefly through her work as head of the Statewide Leadership | ||
Council; through her advocacy and leadership, she also played a | ||
pivotal role in saving the life of death row inmate Melissa Lucio, | ||
who was granted a stay of execution by the Texas Court of Criminal | ||
Appeals in April 2022; Ms. Luna is an alumna of JustLeadershipUSA, | ||
and she currently serves on the community advisory council of the | ||
Texas After Violence Project, a criminal justice reform group; and | ||
WHEREAS, After serving two decades in prison, beginning at | ||
the age of 15, Jennifer Toon has become a statewide policy expert | ||
and a leader in justice reform for incarcerated and returning | ||
women, children, and people with disabilities; she is the founder | ||
of the Lioness Justice Impacted Women's Alliance, and she currently | ||
serves as head of Finish the 5, a campaign to close youth prisons in | ||
Texas, and as a community advisor for the Texas After Violence | ||
Project; and | ||
WHEREAS, Many more individuals throughout our state have | ||
likewise emerged from the criminal justice system to realize | ||
meaningful goals in a broad range of endeavors, and their | ||
experiences offer a moving testament to the human potential for | ||
redemption; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby recognize April 2023 as Second Chance Month, | ||
honor Maggie Luna and Jennifer Toon for their contributions as | ||
activists for criminal justice reform and rehabilitation, and | ||
commend those organizations and individuals who are assisting | ||
former inmates in reintegrating into society. | ||
J. Johnson of Harris | ||
______________________________ | ||
Speaker of the House | ||
I certify that H.R. No. 1177 was adopted by the House on April | ||
25, 2023, by a non-record vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||