Grace Bauer

Co-Director of Justice for Families

Grace Bauer is the mother of three children from Sulphur, Louisiana whose first exposure to the juvenile justice system came as the parent of a court-involved youth who, at age 14, was sent to a notorious juvenile correctional facility where he was abused and mistreated. When it became clear that there was no system accountability for her son's treatment, and nowhere to turn for help or redress of grievances, Grace became a passionate advocate for juvenile justice reform. She began working as a special education advocate with Families Helping Families of Southwest Louisiana, forging alliances with other parents struggling with similar family situations. Grace became Co-Director of Justice for Families in 2011. Today, she works with families around the country to highlight the voice of families for their own children and for system reform. She works at the local, state and federal level to create new foundations for family involvement and investment away from punitive cages and into programs with a history of serving children, their communities and society as a whole.