Cynthia Simons is the Grant Me The Wisdom Foundation (GMTW) Women’s Fellow at the Texas Center for Justice and Equity. Her passion for civil rights and justice reform stems back to the age of 16, when she graduated from high school and attended the University of Texas at San Antonio. That passion has since been fueled by a firsthand view of the criminal legal system: As a formerly incarcerated woman, Cynthia works to protect women’s rights and ensure that women have access to resources and rehabilitative services before, during, and after interactions with the system. This includes the critical need for strategies that promote family connection and reunification. At TCJE, Cynthia works to end mass incarceration and support women and families who have been impacted by the criminal legal system; she coordinates the Texas Women’s Justice Coalition in support of trauma-informed programming and gender-responsive reforms.

Cynthia was instrumental in the passage of HB2926 in the 87th legislative session ensuring that families that have been separated by institutional harm have a pathway for reunification. Implementation is also an important part of legislation that Cynthia recognizes and is a part of her role. Cynthia is a mother of 3 and a champion for families. Cynthia works hard to ensure community engagement is centered in her work and that Policy decisions are made off of community needs.