Austin Justice Coalition is a left-of-center group based in Austin, Texas. The group supported defunding the Austin Police Department in 2020, advocating for a 25 percent cut in the agency’s budget and redirecting the money towards social programs. ¹

The group’s leader, Chas Moore, also supports abolishing prisons, including for offenses like murder. ²

Background

The Austin Justice Coalition was founded in 2015. Texas Fair Defense Project fiscally sponsored the group until 2020. ³

In January 2016, the group launched the Better Before More campaign in response to the city of Austin’s request for $13 million to hire more police officers. Between 2016 and 2020, the group advocated for policy changes including the creation of an independent Office of Police Oversight and requiring officers to wear body cameras. ⁴

Advocacy

Helping Jail Inmates Vote

In January 2018, the Austin Justice Coalition advocated for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office to allow inmates to register to vote as well as placing voting booths inside prisons. ⁵

Defunding Police

In June 2020, the Austin Justice Coalition called for defunding the Austin Police Department. The group sought to cut $100 million, or 25 percent, from the agency’s $400 million budget and redirect it to social programs such as mental health programs, health care, housing, and education. ^{6 7}

Greg Casar Donation

In June 2020, then-Austin City Councilman Greg Casar (D) redirected a $1,200 donation he received from the Austin Police Association police union and gave it to the Austin Justice Coalition. Casar signed a “No Cash from Cops Pledge,” which stated he would not accept political donations from police unions. The police union had requested Casar refund them the money instead. ⁸

Racism in Austin

In June 2020, Chas Moore, Austin Justice Coalition’s executive director, described racism in Austin as consisting of “microaggressions, including not being able to move up in the workplace, feeling stares as the only black person in a fancy restaurant, or feeling out of place in the once-black neighborhoods where some residents grew up.”  ⁹

In February 2024, the Austin Justice Coalition criticized the treatment and conditions of African Americans living in Austin. The group warned that unless circumstances changed, Austin would be the first major American city to have no Black people in it. The group called upon the city to move away from isolated initiatives and move towards a long-term policy to reversing systemic racism and enduring accountability. ¹⁰

Housing

In January 2021, the Austin Justice Coalition teamed up with the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) to reduce the number of homeless in Austin and to declare housing a human right within the city. The initiative would recruit property owners and managers throughout Austin and Travis County and connect them with people exiting homelessness to place them in available units with low-barrier tenant screening criteria to which both parties agreed. ECHO provided the tenants it works with would receive rental assistance and a case manager to help them stay housed. The landlords would also be able to tap risk mitigation funds in the event of outstanding rental balances or property damage. ¹¹

Police Union Contracts

In May 2022, the Austin Justice Coalition opposed a new contract between the city of Austin and the Austin Police Association. The group claimed that the contract prevented the city from holding bad police officers accountable and kept police records secret. ¹²

Prison Abolition

In April 2023, executive director Chas Moore called for abolishing prisons even for murder. They also suggested that burglars could clean their victim’s house for six weeks instead of being sent to prison. ¹³

Leadership

The Austin Justice Coalition’s executive director is Chas Moore. Moore was convicted of second-degree robbery when he was 17. ¹⁴

The group’s chair is Francis Jordan. ¹⁵

Finances

According to 2022 tax filing, Austin Justice Coalition reported $499,193 in revenue, $2,269,956 in expenses, and $1,279,409 in assets. ¹⁶

The group gave a $10,000 grant to the Austin Area Urban League. ¹⁷

1. Torre, Melanie. “Austin Justice Coalition Pushes to Defund Police.” KEYE, June 8, 2020. https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/austin-justice-coalition-pushes-to-defund-police.
2. Martinez, MaryAnn. “Exclusive: Leader of Anti-Police Group Wants No Prison Time for Murder, Burglars to Clean Homes as Punishment.” New York Post, April 5, 2023. https://nypost.com/2023/04/05/leader-of-anti-police-group-demands-no-jail-for-murder/.
3. “Austin Justice Coalition.” Austin Justice Coalition. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://austinjustice.org/about/.
4. “Austin Justice Coalition.” Austin Justice Coalition. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://austinjustice.org/about/.
5. Uchida, Adela. “Activists Want Voting Booths Available for Travis Co.. Jail Inmates.” KEYE, January 26, 2018. https://m.cbsaustin.com/news/local/activists-want-voting-booths-available-for-travis-co-jail-inmates#.
6.  Torre, Melanie. “Austin Justice Coalition Pushes to Defund Police.” KEYE, June 8, 2020. https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/austin-justice-coalition-pushes-to-defund-police.
7. Martinez, MaryAnn. “Exclusive: Leader of Anti-Police Group Wants No Prison Time for Murder, Burglars to Clean Homes as Punishment.” New York Post, April 5, 2023. https://nypost.com/2023/04/05/leader-of-anti-police-group-demands-no-jail-for-murder/.
8. Quick, Matthew. “Council Member Casar Donates Campaign Donations from APA to Austin Justice Coalition.” FOX 7 Austin, June 19, 2020. https://www.fox7austin.com/news/council-member-casar-donates-campaign-donations-from-apa-to-austin-justice-coalition.
9. Flagler, Jack. “Austin Justice Coalition Executive Director: City’s Racism Is ‘Unique Because It Is so Subtle.’” Community Impact, June 2, 2020. https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/public-safety/2020/06/02/austin-justice-coalition-executive-director-citys-racism-is-unique-because-it-is-so-subtle/.
10. Freer, Emma. “Austin Justice Coalition Slams City in State of Black Austin Address.” Austin Monitor, February 23, 2024. https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2024/02/austin-justice-coalition-slams-city-in-state-of-black-austin-address/.
11.  Davis, Chris. “How to House: Echo, Austin Justice Coalition Launch New Housing Campaign.” ECHO, January 25, 2021. https://www.austinecho.org/blog/2021/01/25/10369/.
12. Newland, Dominique. “Austin Justice Coalition Fighting for New Police Contract Negotiations .” KVUE, May 2, 2022. https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-justice-coalition-police-contract-ems-pay/269-7eb7adc9-a86a-4fbe-95ae-67caebbe0929.
13. Martinez, MaryAnn. “Exclusive: Leader of Anti-Police Group Wants No Prison Time for Murder, Burglars to Clean Homes as Punishment.” New York Post, April 5, 2023. https://nypost.com/2023/04/05/leader-of-anti-police-group-demands-no-jail-for-murder/.
14. Martinez, MaryAnn. “Exclusive: Leader of Anti-Police Group Wants No Prison Time for Murder, Burglars to Clean Homes as Punishment.” New York Post, April 5, 2023. https://nypost.com/2023/04/05/leader-of-anti-police-group-demands-no-jail-for-murder/.
15. “Frances Jordan, J.D.” Austin Justice Coalition. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://austinjustice.org/frances-jordan-j-d/.
16. “Austin Justice Coalition, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/813138826/202410689349300911/full.
17. “Austin Justice Coalition, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/813138826/202410689349300911/full.