Early Giving is Underway! AND We are 1 Day Away from THE BIG DAY!
Did you know that 1 in 10 Opportunity Youth (young people ages 16-24 who are not working and not in school) lives in Texas? Compared to their connected peers, Opportunity Youth (OY) have a disproportionate share of problems as they age, including chronic unemployment, poverty, mental health disorders, criminal involvement, incarceration, poor health, and early mortality. And did you know that OYs cost taxpayers (https://opportunitynation.org/disconnected-youth/) $93 billion annually and $1.6 trillion (http://www.serve.gov/new-images/council/pdf/econ_value_opportunity_youth.pdf) over their lifetimes in lost revenues and increased social services (https://opportunitynation.org/disconnected-youth/).
Since our inception, LSJA has been working with Justice-involved Opportunity Youth to create pathways to social and economic mobility through innovative programs, advocacy, and building networks of community members to support them along their journeys to their greatness.
North Texas Giving Day is tomorrow, Thursday, September 21st and it is a perfect time to make a gift to Lone Star Justice Alliance to help us continue advocating and creating opportunities for young people in Texas. Thanks to the generosity of a faithful supporter, your gift will have DOUBLE the impact. Every $1 donated up to $25,000 will be MATCHED!
Project Partners
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Through our Youth Sentencing Project, we provide direct strategic litigation on behalf of youth who were tried in the adult criminal legal system and given extremely long prison sentences, particularly those sentenced to life without parole.
Youth should be held accountable for their wrongdoing in developmentally appropriate ways that consider their age, individual characteristics, and specific circumstances of their cases.
Our staff litigators take the lead on a limited number of cases every year, selecting those that have the potential to influence system-wide change. Last year, LSJA was involved in 13 cases challenging the transfer of youth (either as lead counsel or in a technical support role) and won 12 of these cases.
