Hays County Jail Advocates

04/25/2023

We're overwhelmed by and so incredibly grateful for the outpouring of community support for Cyrus Gray at the courthouse this morning. However, it was beyond dismaying to learn that the prosecution has yet to do the work needed to make a decision whether to dismiss his case, and instead requested yet another resetting.

As of now, Cyrus's case is set for retrial on June 26, 2023, a full year after his first trial took place. It's genuinely unconscionable that Cyrus has spent over five years - the majority of them in jail - with these charges hanging over his head, despite a lack of evidence of guilt and a considerable amount of evidence that law enforcement failed to properly investigate Justin Gage's murder, the crime of which Cyrus is accused.

And yet Cyrus is lucky compared to his co-defendant Devonte Amerson, who is still in jail after all this time, because he cannot afford his unreasonably high bond or to pay an attorney to zealously advocate for his release. Enough is enough. It's time for the district attorney to do the work, dismiss the case against Cyrus and Devonte, and reopen the investigation into Justin's murder. Justin's family deserves justice. This is not it.

Sign the petition in support of Cyrus and Devonte at actionnetwork.org/petitions/free-cyrus-and-devonte

03/18/2023

Happy Gideon v. Wainwright Day to all who celebrate!

Sixty years ago today, the United States Supreme Court held that the assistance of legal counsel is a fundamental right essential to a fair trial, and is constitutionally guaranteed.

On the anniversary of Gideon, our thoughts are with all of the people in Hays County who have the right to counsel in theory but have encountered so many roadblocks in exercising that right. While we celebrate Mano Amiga's recent and hard-won victory of a public defender's office in Hays County, we will continue to fight for it to be equally funded with the district attorney's office. Everyone who is charged with a crime deserves the presumption of innocence, and access to representation that is effective and accountable.

You can learn more about the hurdles people face in obtaining effective assistance here in Hays County by reading Brant Bingamon's recent cover story for the Austin Chronicle (quoted in the second and third photos), and you can read all about Mano Amiga's work organizing for the PDO's office (among other important reforms) in Michael Barajas's article for Bolts Magazine last year (quoted in the fourth slide).

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2023-03-03/cyrus-gray-hasnt-been-convicted-of-a-crime-but-he-spent-years-in-jail/

https://boltsmag.org/hays-county-marijuana-measure-and-district-attorney-election-mano-amiga/

02/12/2023

It’s been two months since Joshua Wright was killed by a Hays County corrections officer, and his family and the community have yet to receive answers from the Hays County Sheriff’s Office about the circumstances surrounding his death. The sheriff’s office has yet to release the bodycam footage of the incident, and the officer who shot and killed Josh is still working at the Hays County Jail.
Josh was beloved by his friends and family. As Josh’s mother Beverly wrote, “In 2009, Joshua became a father to his only daughter Xyrrena — the love of his life … Joshua was our heart and our strength. On Dec. 12, 2022, Hays County Correctional Officer Isaiah Garcia took that away from us … Joshua was an innocent man and did not deserve to be gunned down in the prime of his life.”
Join Josh’s family and the community in demanding Justice For Joshua Wright by attending these upcoming events. If you have questions or need any information about how to participate, send us a DM.

01/26/2023

We're excited for Texas Advocates for Justice Advocacy Day tomorrow! We'll be one of several organizations tabling, and poet Myles Martin will be performing!
https://facebook.com/events/s/advocacy-day-2023/857934021977605/

01/23/2023

I’m writing this to invite you to join my family in honoring the life of, and calling for justice for, my son, Joshua Wright, Sunday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m.

01/09/2023

Be sure to catch Cyrus and Amy from HCJA this Wednesday on Iron Sharpens Iron! We'll be discussing our work to get the charges dropped against Cyrus and Devonte Amerson, our work supporting incarcerated people suffering medical neglect, and how you can get involved with the Justice for Joshua campaign.

Don’t miss the first new episode of Iron Sharpens Iron of the year! With special guest Cyrus Gray and Amy Kamp. We will be live this Wednesday from 12-1 pm ONLY on KAZI 88.7 FM. Make sure you tune in!

01/07/2023

It speaks to the pathetically low standards for accountability in Hays County that our local government is seemingly fine with the fact that Isaiah Garcia — the man who needlessly shot and killed Joshua Wright in a crowded hospital less than a month ago — has been allowed to return to work. This press release attempts to weakly justify the sheriff’s actions by saying Garcia “will not be assigned to any position involving the direct supervision of jail inmates until the investigation is brought to some conclusion.” What message does it send to the people incarcerated in the Hays County Jail that the man who killed the person some of them considered a friend is back on the job, where they can see him, regardless of whether he’s “directly” supervising him? What message does it send to the other guards, many of whom have been accused of the same sort of racist and violent behavior against incarcerated people that Garcia was accused of engaging in prior to killing Joshua? Why did it take a week’s worth of pressure from HCJA and other community members before the sheriff admitted Garcia was back at work? Will there be any accountability for the fact that the sheriff’s office continued to insist Garcia was on leave well after we received reports he was back at work? Or will the county continue business as usual, unconcerned about the hundreds of other lives that remain in danger within the Hays County Jail?

01/05/2023

12/14/2022

On December 12, 2022, a Hays County Corrections Officer shot and killed 36-year-old Joshua Leon Wright. At the time of his death, Joshua was in custody of the Hays County Jail. The shooting took place at the Seton Hospital in Kyle, where Joshua had been taken for medical treatment. We didn’t know Joshua, and we are reluctant to speculate on the circumstances of his incarceration or his death, given the limited amount of information available right now. However, it is hard to imagine a scenario where shooting an unarmed man to death in a hospital would be justified. We have raised concerns about the lack of adequate staffing and training at the Hays County Jail in the past, and have yet to see anyone in a leadership position in Hays County take any accountability for the fact that the sheriff’s office cannot properly recruit or retain staff, or address concerns about the lack of proper training. We know that Joshua was loved by his family, and that his killing is a terrible loss to them. As more information becomes available to us, we will keep you updated on how to help hold the county accountable and support Joshua’s loved ones. Rest in power, Joshua.

12/06/2022

Check out this excellent video Shubeg Singh made explaining the case against Cyrus and Devonte and why Hays County must drop the charges! And don't forget to sign the petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/free-cyrus-and-devonte/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwEWi4j1nwQ

PETITON FOR CYRUS & DEVONTE: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/free-cyrus-and-devonte/It's a blessing for me to have a clear vision on the type of content ...