About NCRRRI
The National Civil Rights Research, Records & Reform Institute (NCRRRI) is an independent, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Houston, Texas, dedicated to documenting civil rights violations, advancing accountability, and equipping communities with the knowledge to defend their rights.
Our Mission
NCRRRI exists to close the gap between civil rights law on paper and civil rights in practice. We do this through rigorous independent research, public records documentation, community hearings, and civic education — ensuring that every person, regardless of background, has access to the information and tools needed to exercise their constitutional rights.
Our History
NCRRRI's roots trace back to 2018, when founder Joseph Baker launched Texas Tenants Benefits Services in Houston — a grassroots effort to represent tenants facing eviction and navigate a system many found impossible to access alone. Over the years, Baker observed recurring patterns: procedural errors in civil proceedings, unaddressed civil rights complaints, and communities left without recourse — particularly individuals with prior felony records who believed their voices and their votes no longer mattered. They were not powerless. They were simply uninformed. That distinction became the foundation of NCRRRI, formally established in 2025. The organization was built on a single conviction: that knowledge is the first condition of justice. NCRRRI's 300-city national tour is the direct expression of that mission — bringing voter education, rights awareness, and civic empowerment directly to the communities that need it most, with a particular focus on Democratic voters and citizens with felony records who have the right to participate in our democracy.
Joseph Baker founds Texas Tenants Benefits Services in Houston, TX — representing tenants in eviction cases and documenting patterns of procedural civil rights violations
NCRRRI formally established after years of observing systemic civil rights complaints go unaddressed — particularly among communities with prior felony records
Launched the National Civil Rights Data Portal, publishing the first Disparity Index covering 36 cities
Launched the Civic Education program with a focus on voter rights, felony re-enfranchisement, and plain-language guides to constitutional rights
Announced the 300-city national tour — bringing voter empowerment, rights education, and community testimony directly to underserved communities across America
Launched the National Public Hearings program, running September 2026 through September 2028, gathering testimony on voting access and civil rights enforcement
Our Team
Chancellor Joseph Baker is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the National Civil Rights Research and Records Institute. A survivor and decoder of structural inequality, Chancellor Baker brings a firsthand understanding of systemic injustice to NCRRRI's mission. He previously co-founded Texas Tenants Benefits Services (TTBS), where he represented tenants in eviction proceedings and documented patterns of procedural civil rights violations across Texas. His work at TTBS laid the evidentiary and organizational foundation for NCRRRI's national research and advocacy programs. At NCRRRI, Chancellor Baker leads the Institute's national public hearings program, legislative advocacy strategy, and community mobilization efforts — driving the campaign to make the Voting Rights Act of 1965 permanent and to restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated citizens.
Sandra Reed is a distinguished case management authority and community service advocate with over twenty years of expertise in aiding marginalized populations, managing legal support networks, and optimizing organizational frameworks. As Co-Founder of NCRRRI, she brings extensive leadership experience, having previously co-founded Texas Tenants Benefits Services as Senior Case Coordinator. Since 2018, Reed has meticulously processed over 9,000 eviction cases, directing intake procedures, conducting financial eligibility assessments, and preparing essential legal documentation for individuals facing housing crises. Her professional reputation is built on technical accuracy, strict confidentiality, and an unwavering commitment to the dignity of those she serves. Prior professional history includes significant roles with the Arkansas Secretary of State's Corporations Division and a decade-long tenure as Director of Operations for Seal of the Living God Holy Church. At NCRRRI, Reed focuses on large-scale civil rights documentation, the recovery of public records, and driving community-based research initiatives.
Research Methodology
NCRRRI's research standards are designed to meet the evidentiary bar required for legal and legislative use. We do not publish findings based on anecdote or secondary reporting alone.
Get in Touch
For press inquiries, research partnerships, speaking requests, or general questions, reach out to us at the address below.
Ready to get involved?
Submit testimony, join our coalition, access our research, or bring our civic education program to your community.