Deanna Luprete is the founder of Epicenter Ministries. A native Californian Deanna grew up in a household that was centered on restorative justice, as her dad was a parole officer for Los Angeles County,  until God called him to full time pastoral ministry.  

She has been involved in Texas prison ministry since 2002. Little did she know that ten years later her son would become incarcerated in California. It was during his incarceration that Deanna began to understand how broken the criminal justice system is both in California and Texas. Soon thereafter, she fully devoted herself to rehabilitative programs within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 

While leading “Bridges to Life” in 2016, Deanna met Chon Dimas, Jeremy Gartrell and, Michael Tracy. All three of them were given lengthy adult prison sentences as children (now known as “Second Lookers”). Through these three Second Lookers, she became aware of 1,400+ other individuals serving sentences they were given as children during the ‘Texas Tough” era. Subsequently, she discovered a bill in her home state (SB 261) which related to parole reform for juvenile offenders serving extreme, if not life sentences. Upon further research, she found that a similar bill was being constructed in Texas. 

Armed with Acts 16:26 and a renewed sense of hope, she established Epicenter with a small social media presence that quickly grew. In 2017, Epicenter had 100 members during the 85th legislative session for the introduction of SB 556/HB 1274.

In 2019, Epicenter had 1,000 members for the introduction of SB 155/HB 256. Today, in 2024 Epicenter has 2,000 active members in the free world and 1,400 TDCJ residents that are diligently working to advocate for a “Second Look” be given to youth who are serving lengthy adult sentences in Texas. Deanna is dedicated to educating and encouraging residents of TDCJ, as well as equipping and empowering those returning to society.

Alex Luprete is an Austin-based producer and creative technologist with over a decade of experience in commercial production, narrative filmmaking, and AI-powered video tooling. Alex is the founder of Versionary, an AI-driven video versioning and localization platform that automates large-scale content delivery for production teams. His career spans senior producer roles at agencies and studios working with Fortune 500 brands, award-recognized screenwriting, and building production technology from the ground up. He holds a degree from the University of Texas at Austin and completed UCLA’s Professional Program of Screenwriting.

Brad Haggard is a criminal defense attorney dedicated to protecting the constitutional rights of individuals charged with crimes in Texas. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati, where he developed a strong interest in justice and fairness that would later guide his legal career. During his undergraduate studies, he interned with the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, advocating for prison reform and working on issues impacting incarcerated individuals and their families. In 2019, he graduated with a Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law Houston, where he sharpened his focus on criminal law and trial advocacy.

Brad began his legal career at the Harris County Public Defender’s Office, where he served for five years representing indigent clients in both the bail division and the felony trial division. During his tenure, he handled a wide range of serious felony cases, managing a demanding caseload from state jail felonies to first-degree offenses. He has tried multiple felony and misdemeanor cases to verdict before a jury, earning a reputation for meticulous preparation, persuasive advocacy, and confident trial presence.

With a proven record of securing favorable outcomes in complex and high-stakes matters, Brad has defended clients facing some of the most serious accusations under Texas law, including Capital Murder and Continuous Sexual Assault of a Child. He is known for thorough investigation, strategic motion practice, and tenacious negotiation aimed at achieving the best possible result in every case. Every client receives individualized attention, clear communication, and an honest assessment of their options at each stage of the process.

Brad is admitted to practice law in Texas and is an active member of the Texas State Bar, the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, and the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. His practice is grounded in the belief that every person deserves a vigorous defense, dignity, and a meaningful opportunity to be heard—no matter the charge.

Shauna Reyes is the Deputy Director of Second Look Texas and a dedicated advocate for juvenile justice reform. Raised in Oregon and later relocating to Texas, she is a mother of three and the wife of a “Second Looker,” bringing both personal experience and policy expertise to her work.

Her advocacy began with her family’s story. In 2000, her youngest brother was charged and sentenced as an adult at just 15 years old during the “tough on crime” era. Witnessing the lasting impact of that sentence led her to focus on advancing policies that align with modern understanding of adolescent development and the capacity for change.

For more than 20 years, Shauna has worked in youth ministry, mentoring young people through critical stages of growth and development. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Law and Public Policy and has spent the past eight years advocating for Second Look Texas legislation.

As Deputy Director, she co-leads efforts in legislative advocacy, coalition-building, and public education. Her work centers on creating structured “second look” review opportunities for individuals sentenced as children—policies that are supported by research showing lower recidivism rates among those released after long-term incarceration and significant cost savings to taxpayers. Her goal is to advance a justice system that prioritizes accountability, public safety, and the potential for rehabilitation.

Anthony Collier was never supposed to make it this far—and that is exactly why he refuses to leave anyone behind. As a small child in Houston, he watched his father vanish into the criminal legal system and his mother work herself past exhaustion to keep the lights on. Schools labeled him a problem, not a possibility. Thirty-one disciplinary referrals later, the paperwork said “lost cause.” His church and his community said something different. They insisted that he was worth investing in, worth fighting for, and worth believing in. That faith carried him from the margins of the classroom to the center of the movement for justice.

Fueled by that belief, Anthony became the first in his family to graduate from college, earning his degree from Texas Southern University and later his Juris Doctorate from The University of Texas School of Law. At Texas Law, he served as Student Body President, as the Class of 2022 G. Rollie White Public Service Scholar, and as the 54th Chairman and CEO of the National Black Law Students Association—the largest student-run nonprofit in the nation. Anthony didn’t just collect titles—he wielded them. He organized students, grassroots organizers, and faith-based leaders, and used every platform to open doors for people who were never meant to have a key. Whether in student government, state legislatures, or national civil rights organizations, he learned how to turn personal struggle into institutional power.

Anthony’s work sits at the intersection of policy, protest, and possibility. As Director of Criminal Justice for the National Urban League in New York City, he led a national platform for criminal justice reform. He has helped write laws, dismantle harmful practices, and advance reforms that make police violence less likely and accountability more real. In Houston, he led a successful campaign to strengthen the Houston Police Department’s body camera policy, ensuring greater transparency and officer accountability. Statewide, he helped write and advocate for Texas’s ban on chokeholds and duty-to-intervene legislation—both of which are now law. For Anthony, policy is never theoretical; it’s a tool to make America as good as her promise—not just for the privileged, but for everyone.

Today, Anthony channels that same conviction into electing leaders who are accountable to the people and protecting democracy from the ground up. As Primary Director of the Harris County Democratic Party—the third-largest county in the nation—he leads voter protection efforts, oversees the filing process for candidates running for office, recruits and trains poll watchers, and manages the hiring of election workers who staff the polls. Just as comfortable at a kitchen table as in a capitol office, he continues to organize neighbors, faith leaders, students, and voters to claim their power. He sees organizing and policy reform as the front door to every other kind of justice—economic, criminal, educational, and environmental. Guided by Shirley Chisholm’s reminder that “service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth,” Anthony lives as if his rent is overdue.”

Alycia Castillo is Associate Director of Legislative Policy at Second Look Texas.

Prior to joining the Second Look team Alycia was

Director of Policy and Advocacy at Texas Center for Justice and Equity where she also worked on Second Look legislation.

Before her career in public policy, Alycia worked as a teacher, specializing in positive-based learning interventions for students with learning disabilities.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work at Texas State University, and brings a trauma-informed, antiracist lens to her analyses and advocacy. Alycia also serves on the Boards of Texas Civil Rights Project and Equity Action. She is also the Co-Founder of the Finish the 5 Campaign. She lives in Austin, Texas with her partner, their three children, and their 3-legged rescue dog, Jeff.