“Despite statistics showing that the number of juveniles in prison has decreased over the years, The Texas Tribune reports that there are still hundreds of juveniles locked away in state prisons.
“That large number once included community activist Dieter Cantu [Leading with Conviction™ 2020], who has made it his life mission to ensure that those youth behind bars are not forgotten.
“Back in 2005, Cantu was sentenced to serve 10 years for his first offense while his three adult counterparts received no time at all. Cantu has said that due to the lack of proper legal representation in court for his case, he went ahead and signed a plea bargain.
It takes a lot for somebody to advocate on their behalf when they’re not around.
“Since being released in 2009, Cantu developed his nonprofit organization, the Cantu’s Books for Incarcerated Youth Project, with the goal of sending books and other literature to those young people which can help them pass the time while giving them knowledge so that they are prepared upon their release. These books have the potential to overwhelmingly reduce the rate of recidivism for those youth who have the chance to get out.
“The organization has already donated more than 5,000 books to various Texas facilities and has also developed several partnerships including with the Houston Texans, The Larry Hoover Project, and others across the U.S.
“Cantu has been recognized for his work with imprisoned youth in front of the Texas Senate Advisory Commission, provided a Ted Talk speech entitled ‘The Child Who Believed He Could,’ and was most recently named the recipient of the 2022 Reebok Human Rights Award.
“When asked how those partnerships impact his program, Cantu said, ‘They definitely help kids amplify their stories. A lot of times, the youth that are housed in TJJD or any juvenile detention center, they’re going through the same thing that I went through, you know? It takes a lot for somebody to advocate on their behalf when they’re not around.’”
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By making a donation in honor of JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
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