An Important Video on Preparing for Reentry
Dear Friends,
Earlier this year, we shared an important new resource for incarcerated Texans and their families: Texas Defender Service’s Parole Website. The site is the first-ever clearinghouse of information on how people can advocate for themselves or their loved ones in the Texas parole review process.
I wanted to share with you my favorite video from the site: Preparing for Release. This video features important information on the reentry process, including firsthand testimony from Mandi Zapata, the Director of Leadership Development at Lioness Justice Impacted Women’s Alliance and a devoted mother of two who experienced a challenging seven-year period of incarceration.
Mandi shares how she found out about her parole decision, how families can better serve their returning loved ones, and the process of adapting to life at home.
On the site, you can also find a guide called How to Write Parole Packets written by Jorge Renaud, a poet, activist, and former reporter who spent 26 years in Texas prisons; a Parole Process Planning Tool; various step-by-step guides; and a reentry planning worksheet.
With gratitude,
Burke Butler
Executive Director
Texas Defender Service
