Lioness
Justice Impacted Women's Alliance
About Us
The female lion known as a lioness, is the perfect symbol of female power and sisterhood. We embrace the inner lioness in each of us as we gather together to advocate for the rights of currently and formerly incarcerated girls and women in Texas.
Join us for monthly meetings to establish priorities and action items.
This group is for directly impacted women who want to support each other and build a powerful presence in our communities and at the Texas Legislature.
Join us for monthly meetings to establish priorities and action items.
This group is for directly impacted women who want to support each other and build a powerful presence in our communities and at the Texas Legislature.
Mission
Lioness: Justice Impacted Women’s Alliance is an organization led by currently and formerly incarcerated girls and women in Texas with the purpose of ending the incarceration and systematic devaluing of the girls and women within our criminal legal system.
Vision
We envision a society where we and our sisters are spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically free from all forms of violence and harm in the criminal legal system. Our vision can be achieved through radical advocacy, education, community engagement, grassroot organizing and legislative action.
Values
We believe that lived experience is the guiding force to change.
We believe in honoring each other’s differences while striving to bring one unified voice of currently and formerly incarcerated girls and women in Texas into all spaces.
We believe that jails and prisons perpetuate harm and violence against girls and women.
We believe in honoring each other’s differences while striving to bring one unified voice of currently and formerly incarcerated girls and women in Texas into all spaces.
We believe that jails and prisons perpetuate harm and violence against girls and women.
Get Involved
- PO Box 12051, Austin, Texas 78711
Contact us to receive the Lioness newsletter and links to join our monthly meetings. Add your name to the growing list of women ready to take up the fight on behalf of the girls and women incarcerated in Texas!
Legislative Hearings
Steering Committee
Events
A showcase and celebration of the work of TAVP's inaugural Visions After Violence cohort featuring our own Lioness members Alex Garza and Lovinah Perkins. Join them at Butterfly Bar for an evening celebrating the inaugural cohort of Visions After Violence fellows. We will take time together as a community to commemorate and reflect on the interviews and work of fellows, whose projects have investigated the realities of incarceration for women, the intersection of mental health and mass incarceration, and how deportation changes individuals, families, and loved ones. This event is FREE and open to the public and invites each of us to honor the accomplishments of three outstanding Visions After Violence community fellows: Alex Garza, Lovinah Perkins, & Juania Sueños.
On September 17, 2022, the Central Texas recovery community will host the Sixth Annual Recovery in the Park event at Mueller Lake Park in East Austin from 3 pm to 8 pm. To register for Recovery in the Park: www.recoveryinthepark.com
The BOX is written and directed by Sarah Shourd, who was held in solitary confinement for over 400 days as a political prisoner in Iran. After discovering the prevalence of solitary confinement in the United States, she collaborated with other survivors and together, they have brought this project to life.
Speakers will introduce you to the landscape around justice reform in the Austin area, including youth justice and women's justice, and easy ways to get involved. The event will also feature community leaders, local organizations, voter registration information and resources, and information about record clearing.
Lioness member Jennifer Toon tells a unique story of community and friendship between system impacted women.
Join us on Thursday, May 19 at 4pm CST to learn from a diverse group of Texas leaders, including two members of Lioness who are justice-impacted students, about the magnitude of this moment, what’s happening in our state, and the urgent work that lies ahead to ensure access and success for all Texans who stand to benefit from this long and hard-fought policy change.
Join us on Tuesday 5/10 at 10:30 am for a rally and press conference in front of Tarrant County Commissioners Court to stand in solidarity with Kelly Masten’s family and the people incarcerated in Tarrant county jail who have suffered medical neglect and inhumane treatment.
We in front of the Governor's house yall!! Join us in Austin this Saturday at 2pm CT as cities across the country rally around the National Day of Action to #FreeMelissaLucio
Hosted by Texas After Violence Project. The state of Texas plans to execute two people this month: Carl Buntion and Melissa Lucio. Join Maggie Luna and Jennifer Toon in conversation with Texas Death Row survivor Pam Perillo about their lived experiences with the death penalty as formerly incarcerated women in Texas, and about their work as activists to advocate for an end to executions.
Screening of "The State of Texas vs Melissa" and panel discussion with Jennifer and Maggie.
Media
Lioness members shared with KVUE what the event meant to system impacted women.
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