TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

TDCJ News

Trisha Bos Named 2026 Peer of the Year

September 23, 2026

Trisha Bos, assistant director of Peer Support Services and Program Operations for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) was named Peer of the Year by RecoveryPeople.

Each September during National Recovery Month, the Texas-based peer- and family-led nonprofit presents the award to an individual or affected family member who has made significant contributions to supporting recovery from substance use and related mental health challenges.

Bos is a justice-impacted person in long-term recovery whose lived experience has become the foundation of her commitment to peer support, recovery leadership, and systems change. Her experience has been instrumental in shaping TDCJ’s substance use programming, including establishing the Big Texas Rallies for Recovery. These rallies, in collaboration with the University of Texas (UT) Addiction Research Institute, bring recovery celebration, peer connection and hope directly inside our facilities.

“Trisha brings heart, hope and honesty into every space she walks into,” said April Zamora, director of the Rehabilitation and Reentry Division. “Watching her grow, lead and pour herself into this work has been a privilege to witness. This recognition is evidence that recovery is possible, lived experience matters and one person’s story can open the door for countless others to find their own path forward.”

Bos holds a master's degree in psychology with an emphasis in Life Coaching and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, along with credentials as a Peer Specialist Supervisor, a Recovery Support Peer Specialist and Justice-Involved Reentry Peer Specialist. In 2025, she was recognized by Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Criminal Justice with the Volunteer Services Substance Use Award, for her service and commitment to people in recovery impacted by incarceration.

“Being named RecoveryPeople’s Peer of the Year is deeply connected to my own recovery journey — it reminds me that recovery gave me more than a second chance; it provided the opportunity to turn lived experience into service and purpose. I am especially grateful to Director April Zamora for giving me the opportunity to serve, to grow and to use my journey to carry hope and recovery to others,” Bos said.