Lioness
Justice Impacted Women's Alliance

Mission
Lioness Justice Impacted Women’s Alliance is a nonprofit organization founded and led by currently and formerly incarcerated girls, women, and gender-expansive people. Our mission is to end the incarceration and systemic devaluation of our population within the Texas criminal legal system, while also building power within our communities.

Vision
We envision a society where we 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, leadership development, community building, grassroot organizing and civic engagement.

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, women and gender expansive people in Texas into all spaces. We believe that jails and prisons by nature perpetuate harm and violence.

We are committed to nurturing a space rooted in the intersectionality of the women's rights movement and grounded in the lived experiences of justice-impacted individuals. We recognize that while all girls, women and gender expansive people face systemic oppression, the ways in which we all experience oppression are different, by race, age, class, gender identity, sexuality, disability, and more. We strive to ensure that every person who connects with our work feels seen, respected, and valued.

Lioness Justice Impacted Women's Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.





What We Do
 We cultivate and elevate the leadership of directly impacted individuals, empowering them through peer support, training, and advocacy. Our work includes letter-writing campaigns, storytelling projects, collaborative research with trusted partners, and resource gathering. Through these efforts, we are dedicated to informing policies and strengthening our communities across Texas.

Angel Carroll

Board Treasurer

Alexa Garza

Board Secretary

Lori Mellinger

Board President

Chris Sederburg

Board Member

Jennifer Toon

Executive Director

Mandi Zapata

Director of Leadership Development

Marci Marie Ray

Director of Community Engagement

Chanel Jones

Director of Programs

Diane Thompson

Director of Outreach

April Towery

Administrative Assistant

Koretta Brown

Lead Organizer for Harris/Fort Bend Counties

Destiny Villarreal

Lead Organizer Bexar County

Demetras Toney

Lead Organizer for Dallas County

Donise Cherry

Lead Organizer Tarrant County

Arianna Mellinger

Lead Organizer for Gregg/Rusk/Smith Counties

Extreme Temperatures

Check out our most recent efforts to bring tempature control to Texas prisons,

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Higher Education

Lioness continues to highlight the challenges faced by incarcerated women when pursing higher education opportunities.

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Disciplinary

We continue the fight to end the over policing of women and girls while in custody. Read studies about how women are punished more severely and more often for minor infractions.

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Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement also known in Texas as administrative segregation, is cruel and unusual punishment that affects women in very specific ways. We remain committed to ending it.

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Youth Injustice

Read about the history and the most recent corruption, abuse, and mismanagement within the Texas youth justice system.

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LGBTQIA+ and Texas Prisons

Gender expansive people in the Texas criminal legal system are constantly attacked and harrassed. We stand together for justice for our trans men and women. Read recent articles about their struggles.

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Parole and Probation

Community Supervision can be a set up for failure for many women. Read the report on how the system doesn't work and what we can do to fix it.

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County Jail and Bail

County jails in Texas are often unsafe, dirty and dangerous, especially for women and gender expansive people. We are working on advocating around conditions and bail reform. Check out some articles about what's going on here in Texas.

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Free Melissa Lucio

Learn more about the compelling evidence supporting her innocence and the ongoing efforts to secure her release.

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Community Calendar

Check our our community calendar and find out what events are happening!

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Donate
Empower justice-impacted communities with your donation. Your support amplifies the voices and leadership of those directly impacted. Stand with us—donate today and add your voice to the roar for justice!
  • PO Box 12051, Austin, Texas 78711

COMPREHENSIVE DATA

COMPREHENSIVE DATA

How many women are held in prisons, jails, and other correctional facilities in the United States? Why are they there? How are their experiences different from men’s? Check out the reports to understand the reasons for their incarceration, and the unique challenges they face compared to men.

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RESOURCES FOR ADVOCATES

RESOURCES FOR ADVOCATES

It can be confusing and overwhelming knowing where and how to start advocating for yourself and your community. These are a few resources that we often use that help inform and guide our efforts.

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