Tarsha Jackson
Tarsha Jackson (b. 1971) is a Texas-based activist and organizer. She is best known for her advocacy on criminal justice reform, especially for incarcerated youth. She is the Criminal Justice Director for the Texas Organizing Project.[1]. In 2004, she co-founded Texas Families of Incarcerated Youth.
Activism[edit]
Jackson is a parent-turned-advocate. Her activism on criminal justice began in the early 2000s as she navigated the juvenile justice system after her then-12-year-old son, Marquieth, was sentenced to three and half years in jail for a low-level misdemeanor[2].
Jackson spearheaded the Texas Families of Incarcerated Youth partnership with the Texas Youth Commission to develop a Parent’s Bill of Rights and she gave critical testimony that helped pass Texas Senate Bill 103 which reduced incarcerating nonviolent youth and increase family-focused, evidence-based interventions and sentencing options.[3][4] Jackson also established a number of highly regarded community programs to reduce the reliance on incarceration and help former prisoners transition successfully back to their communities. Her work also involved fighting for bail reform, advocating for affordable housing, education reform and promoting social and economic equity and justice.[5]
Tarsha has been the recipient of numerous awards for her organizing and advocacy work, including the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Natalie S. Bimel Award, she was named the 2010 Tyrant’s Foe with the Texas Observer and received the Bill of Rights Defense Commission Patriot Award as affirmation of her years-long campaign to raise the prominence of families’ voices in advancing juvenile justice reforms and social change.
Awards /Recognitions[edit]
In 2011 Tarsha received the Soros Justice Fellowship[6], has served as a parent representative on the Texas Task Force for Youth with Special Needs and was a 2014 American Leadership Forum Criminal Justice Fellow[7]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Texas Organizing Project | Staff". organizetexas.org. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
- ↑ "Texas is the Future". Harper's Magazine. March 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
- ↑ Muldrow, Dianna (November 2015). "The Texas Model: Juvenile Justice" (PDF). Texas Public Policy Foundation. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ "Tarsha Jackson - Justice for Families". Justice for Families. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
- ↑ "Mamie Till and Tarsha Jackson: 'Mothers at the Gate' | EQUAL VOICE NEWS". EQUAL VOICE NEWS. 2016-06-27. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
- ↑ "Foundations Announce 2011 Soros Justice Fellows". Open Society Foundations. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
- ↑ "Tarsha Jackson – American Leadership Forum – National". www.alfnational.org. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
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