Lauren Johnson

Lauren Johnson is the Criminal Justice Outreach Coordinator in the Policy Department of the ACLU of Texas, which she joined in 2017. The seed of passion for social justice that led her to the ACLU grew out of her experiences within the criminal legal system. Prior to being hired, Lauren worked alongside other ACLU staff on criminal justice reform policies at the local and state level that led to the first Fair Chance Hiring ordinance in the southern United States to apply to private employers, removing the lifetime ban placed on people with felony drug convictions who would otherwise qualify for food assistance and codifying a law to prevent video from being the primary visitation available in county jails across the state. Lauren has been recognized for her work by Grassroots Leadership, The Texas Observer, and the Texas Council on Family Relations.