Dallas-based Unlocking DOORS, a community-based reentry resource that gives those released from prison/jail a second chance to be successful, announced today that The Dallas Cowboys/The Gene and Jerry Jones Family Foundation and Kelcy Warren, CEO of Dallas-based Energy Transfer, will receive the 2020 Susan McHenry Golden Key Award. The award will be presented during the 2020 Virtual Texas Reentry Symposium to be held on September 29, 2020.
"We are so pleased to honor these recipients in recognition of their support for our organization," said Christina Melton Crain, Founder and President/CEO of Unlocking DOORS. "The partnership with The Dallas Cowboys and The Gene and Jerry Jones Family Foundation made our first ever virtual symposium possible. We have produced one of the best lineups of expert speakers we've ever had and increased attendance from 300 to almost 1,000. We are also incredibly thankful they established Huddle4Good, a program that encourages ongoing conversations about social injustices.
"Kelcy's gift of $1 million to Unlocking DOORS allows us to enhance our programs and broaden our reach to help those who have been released stay out of prison/jail. We could not do what we do and achieve the success we have had without the help of citizens like Kelcy."
Unlocking DOORS was founded in 2010 by Crain, a Dallas attorney and former Chairman of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice - the first and only woman to hold this position. Crain has dedicated herself to giving former offenders a second chance to improve their lives by connecting them to resources that will help them find a sustainable future that is crime-free. Such resources include, but are not limited to employment, housing, transportation, medical/mental health, substance abuse treatment, etc.
The Golden Key Award was introduced by Unlocking DOORS in 2016 and was renamed in 2018 after Susan McHenry, who dedicated her entire adult life to improving the criminal justice system. The award recognizes individuals and organizations that have shown dedication to public safety and the reduction of crime.
- Past honorees include:
- 2016 - Westcott Foundation
- 2017 - Doug Deason
- 2018 - Honorable Jerry Madden & The Harold Simmons Foundation
- 2019 - Honorable Elba Garcia
The 2020 Virtual Texas Reentry Symposium features panel discussions about legislative/policy changes, criminal justice and workforce issues, as well as a preview screening of the documentary In Her Shoes, a riveting film about incarcerated women in the Dallas County Lew Sterrett Jail and their personal journey as seen through the relationship with the shoes they have worn, are wearing now, and hope to wear in the future.
The Symposium is FREE to attend; registration is required. Registration and a complete list of speakers can be found here.
