[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 26317-26318]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING JOYCE ANN BROWN ON CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF FREEDOM AND 
                          FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 29, 2009

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my best 
wishes to celebrate the life and achievements of Joyce Ann Brown. I had 
the pleasure of having Ms. Brown serve on a reentry panel during the 
39th Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative 
Conference. Ms. Brown was unjustly convicted of a crime she did not 
commit and served nine years, five months and 24 days in prison before 
this injustice was realized and the guilty verdict was reversed. Upon 
release, Joyce started the not for profit organization, Mothers 
(Fathers) for the Advancement of Social Systems Inc. (MASS Inc.) in 
Dallas, TX. This organization focuses on assisting released ex-
offenders reintegrating into society.
  The reentry of ex-offenders is an issue of very high priority and 
importance to me and I am personally invested in the success of 
organizations like MASS, Inc. With the passage of the Second Chance Act 
in 2008, organizations

[[Page 26318]]

such as MASS will benefit from additional federal grant funding to 
strengthen programs that aid ex-offenders in becoming productive 
contributing members of society.
  Throughout my career, I have fought for the underserved and 
underrepresented and on my journey have come to admire Joyce Ann Brown 
for all her work and achievements in the area of social justice. Ms. 
Brown spent three years writing letters to appeal the atrocious 
injustice she faced and continued to fight upon release. Therefore, I 
am delighted to be included in commending Joyce Ann Brown and would 
like to thank her for her assistance with our work here on the hill. 
The organization she has created has helped many ex-offenders as well 
as their families, and has provided the support needed for a healthy 
society.
  Providing support to ex-offenders is paramount to becoming productive 
citizens, taxpayers, mothers and fathers. Research has shown that 
successful employment interventions among ex-offenders benefits not 
only the ex-offender, but also his or her family, social networks, 
communities and society at large. The benefits reaped by society 
through the MASS organization and the work of Joyce Ann Brown are vital 
to the preservation of a healthy society and should rightfully be 
congratulated and recognized.

                          ____________________