Christina Melton Crain
Christina Melton Crain is a Dallas-based attorney and the founder of Unlocking Doors, a nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals transition from the Texas prison system back into society. After learning that 70,000 people are released from Texas prisons each year with little more than a bus ticket, Crain founded Unlocking Doors in 2010 to provide a comprehensive support system for formerly incarcerated individuals. The nonprofit offers services like mental and physical health care, education, housing assistance, job placement, and transportation. Unlocking Doors serves over 1,000 clients annually across North Texas with plans to expand statewide.
As the CEO of Unlocking Doors, Crain's approach has resulted in a 92% success rate in preventing clients from reoffending and returning to prison. She believes that by helping individuals build self-sustaining futures, her organization saves lives, makes communities safer, and reduces societal costs.
Crain also focuses on the children of incarcerated individuals. Through her GO KIDS program, she works to break the cycle of incarceration by partnering with organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters to provide mentorship and resources for at-risk youth. GO KIDS aims to reduce the statistic that children of incarcerated parents are 90% more likely to enter the criminal justice system.
In recognition of her contributions, the State of Texas named the largest female prison in the state after her: the Christina Melton Crain Unit in Gatesville, which houses approximately 1,500 women daily. Crain's work continues to have a profound impact on the lives of many, helping individuals rebuild their futures and supporting their families in the process.