My name is Maggie Luna and I am the Hogg Foundation Peer Policy Fellow for the Texas Center for Justice and Equity. In my role I influence policy and work to make meaningful changes in the criminal justice system. I am also an addict with 20 years of untreated substance use who is now in long-term recovery. It is because of my lived experience with many broken Texas systems that I am able to speak truth to power.

I began using drugs at the age of 16 and this was the beginning of my journey in and out of county jails, starting out as a juvenile. My first experience was terrifying, and I was able to experience firsthand the inhumane and disproportionate treatments inside. These experiences changed the trajectory of my life.

Once introduced into the system I got stuck in the revolving door. My addiction was exacerbated with the undealt with underlying trauma and the continued trauma of incarceration. Throughout this time I had 3 children, and became involved with the child protection department where my parental rights were terminated by a Harris County Judge. Judge John Phillips said there was no hope for an addict like me. My children were separated and the court ordered closed adoptions for all 3. This caused me to continue to spiral out of control and end up in prison twice.

I was released for the last time in 2017 and decided I was no longer going to continue to give my life to the criminal justice system. It took me 14 months of establishing a foundation without the use of drugs to learn how to live in a society that labeled me as disposable. This was only possible with a community of women who did not give up on me. Today I am more than grateful for all they did to empower me.

Through one of the groups I attended I met a formerly incarcerated exoneree who was speaking to the state legislature in a hearing and telling them exactly what was happening inside. He took me through training with the ACLU and I testified for the first time in the 86th session in 2019. I was listening in hearings and realizing there is so much work that needs to be done to bring awareness to the reality of what happens inside of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

I began volunteering and telling my story to whoever would listen. I was blessed with this fellowship at Texas Center for Justice and Equity where I have learned so much about the way policy works and how the Texas legislature works. I now organize the Statewide Leadership Council – a group of formerly incarcerated and system impacted individuals who are advocating across Texas. We are building and growing so that our voices can be heard at the state level and impact the lives of those who are still suffering within the system.