Christina Melton Crain of Unlocking DOORS. Photography by Kathy Tran.
Unlocking DOORS, founded in 2010
Who they are
Unlocking DOORS was formed to address Texas and Dallas County’s growing need for community-based offender programs and reintegration services. Founder, president and CEO Christina Melton Crain is a former chairwoman of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, an oversight board for the incarceration, parole and probation of Texas adult felons. The Unlocking DOORS founder started the nonprofit to give former offenders a second chance while also cutting crime rates and strengthening communities.
What they do
The nonprofit offers a comprehensive client re-entry brokerage for individuals 17 years old and older with criminal records. This program consists of a comprehensive risk assessment, an individualized reentry brokerage plan, referrals to community partners and ongoing monitoring and assistance. Unlocking DOORS offers community collaboration, education and training through an annual Texas reentry symposium, public awareness events, community speaking requests and community partner meetings. The nonprofit collects, analyzes and reports sets of evidence-based client data to illustrate predictive trends in criminal justice.
How to help
Unlocking DOORS is currently holding a donation drive. Neighbors can donate online here or by mail with a check payable to “Unlocking Doors” to 12225 Greenville Ave., Ste. 850, Dallas, TX 75243. The nonprofit’s Annual Virtual Texas Reentry Symposium will be Sept. 14.
“In the short seven years since the organization’s founding, [I have] witnessed the transformative effect Unlocking DOORS has had on former offenders when they are connected to the services they desperately need.”
— Christina Melton Crain, founder, president and CEO
12225 Greenville Ave. Ste. 850, 214-296-9258
