The Texas Prisons Alliance "Law of Parties Special Program" is about exposing the hard truth: Texas is locking people away for decades—or sentencing them to death—for crimes they didn’t commit, simply because they were associated with someone who did. Under this law, prosecutors don’t need to prove intent or action. All they need is the claim that someone “should have anticipated” the crime. That’s how Michael Highfill, who didn’t pull a trigger and was in shock in the back seat, got life in prison, while the person who committed the murder got a lesser sentence. That’s how Jeff Wood, who stayed in a truck during a robbery and begged his co-defendant not to bring a gun, landed on death row. These cases aren’t rare—they directly result from a broken law being used to stretch blame far beyond what’s fair or just.

That’s why TPA is launching a dedicated effort to track, document, and fight back. Our Law of Parties Database will highlight every impacted story, so families and loved ones are no longer invisible. We want to hear your story if you or someone you love was charged under the Law of Parties. Share it through our submission form and be part of a growing call for justice. Together, we can change this.