Cornyn takes inspiration from Texas farm that employs felons for federal bill
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Sen. John Cornyn hangs out with the Bonton goats. Photo: Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi/Axios
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) hopes South Dallas' Bonton Farms will be a template for improving other communities across the country.
Why it matters: The farm has tried addressing food insecurity in southern Dallas for almost a decade by selling fresh groceries and offering felons opportunities to learn skills that will help them secure a job.
Driving the news: Cornyn visited Bonton Farms last week to meet leaders from organizations that work with former prisoners and help them transition back into their communities.
- The Republican senator says he wants to take programs like Bonton Farms and ask, "what's the secret sauce?" that makes them successful.
Flashback: Frisco businessman Daron Babcock gave up his high-paying career and established Bonton Farms, hoping to solve southern Dallas' food desert and offer jobs and training to former inmates.
- The farm has become a staple in Dallas and an example of a way to address enduring inequities in communities.
- The 2021 Bonton Farms Act, sponsored by former state Rep. Scott Sanford (R-McKinney), resolves inmates' outstanding traffic tickets, warrants for unpaid fines and Class C misdemeanors that require fines.
How it works: Bonton Farms was established on 1.25 acres. It's expanded to include a 40-acre extension site.
- The farm's offerings are crafted around the main determinants of health, including financial stability and social support networks.
- There's a coffee shop, restaurant and market on site. Some Dallas restaurants buy their groceries from the farm.
- Outsiders can also volunteer.
What we're watching: Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced last month that Bonton Farms will get $2 million from her open call for funding.
Between the lines: Prison time often carries a stigma that makes it hard for people to find a well-paying job and a home.
- "You can't build enough prisons to keep people behind bars. What you've got to figure out is how to keep people out of prison," Cornyn said at a roundtable discussion last week.
What's next: Cornyn plans to introduce the Workforce Reentry Act, which would give funding to organizations with a "successful track record" of offering career development opportunities to people leaving the criminal justice system.
- The bill would also encourage organizations working with former inmates to share best practices.
- "This is about taking people who want to turn their lives around and giving them the skills they need to be successful," Cornyn said.
Zoom out: Several North Texas organizations provide support with job training, finding employment and securing housing in hopes of curbing recidivism.
- Antong Lucky has been relying on his experience in state prison to run Dallas-based Urban Specialists, which aims to "disrupt toxic trends" through violence prevention and gang intervention.
- The organization has adopted a Texas prison unit to coach inmates before their release and supports the children of incarcerated people.