About us
Texas Prison Reform is a grassroots coalition led by currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, working in partnership with independently trained activists. Together, we are committed to driving progressive, meaningful change in the Texas prison system—beginning with the inhumane use of Restrictive Housing (solitary confinement).
Our movement began by confronting the realities of solitary confinement but quickly expanded as our team—many of whom are still incarcerated—recognized a deeper, system-wide crisis rooted in chronic staff shortages. These shortages impact far more than solitary units; they affect out-of-cell time, access to medical and mental health care, and even the most basic dietary needs. What started as a fight against solitary confinement has grown into a comprehensive effort to address the everyday conditions endured by incarcerated people across Texas.
We are now active in 15 correctional units statewide. This is an unprecedented, incarcerated-led initiative—bringing lived experience to the forefront of prison reform. Our central mission is to replace outdated and punitive confinement practices with a behavior-based step-down program that evaluates people based on their actions, not arbitrary classifications. This approach promotes accountability, rehabilitation, and fairness.
But we don’t stop at reform. We’re calling for a complete rethinking of how restrictive housing is used. The current conditions in these units are not only ineffective—they're dangerous. Solitary confinement exacerbates mental health crises, fuels suicide rates, encourages excessive force, limits access to care, and strips people of meaningful human interaction. These are urgent human rights issues, and they must be addressed now.
What makes Texas Prison Reform unique is that solutions are being designed by those who live this reality every day. Our incarcerated team members are identifying patterns, spotlighting unit-specific issues, and proposing practical, coping-based solutions to help mitigate the effects of staff shortages and systemic neglect. This is advocacy from the inside out.
We are actively shaping legislation, building alliances, and pushing for policies created by the incarcerated, for the incarcerated.
Join us. Support a movement rooted in experience, driven by justice, and focused on lasting, systemic change in Texas prisons.