Team

to former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. She has worked for affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union, where she led non-litigation advocacy efforts on various civil rights and racial justice issues. Portia taught university-level courses on criminology, sociology, and race. Other experience includes speaking, researching, and consulting on social justice, diversity and inclusion, education, and criminal justice issues. Portia earned her BA from Wellesley College, an MA from Columbia University, an MA in Sociology from Rutgers University, and a JD from Rutgers University School of Law-Newark.

as for the Brennan Center for Justice in New York, where he explored avenues to eliminate racial disparities in the criminal justice system. He was also an intern for the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office in California. As a student-athlete on the basketball team at the University of California, Berkeley, Patrick earned a BA in political science and African American studies. He earned his JD from the New York University School of Law.

of Crime at the U.S. Department of Justice as well as directed the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) program for the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy in Washington state. Grace also previously led the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault. She started her work with victims as a volunteer at the Rape Recovery Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. She received her BS in gender studies from the University of Utah.

reentry programs with the Virginia Departments of Corrections and Juvenile Justice. In Virginia’s adult courts, he conducted background investigations and wrote reports to promote equitable sentencing practices. Jowan was also previously a juvenile parole officer, collaborating with families and courts to identify alternatives to detention and state commitments. Jowan has a BS in criminal justice with a concentration in justice administration from Virginia Commonwealth University and a paralegal studies certificate from Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies.

than 30 years. This included serving as the vice president of agency programs for a community-based agency providing multiple types of correctional and behavioral health treatment to formerly incarcerated people under community supervision. David was also a clinician at Somers State Prison and Meriden-Wallingford Hospital in Connecticut as well as a consultant with a national criminal justice technical assistance provider. A licensed professional counselor and certified forensic counselor, David earned his BA from Franklin College and his MS at Butler University.

which focused on strengthening community-based supervision and services to increase local alternatives to incarceration. Madeleine also previously worked as a policy staffer in the Oregon and Alabama legislatures. She earned a BA from Portland State University and MPAP from American University.

and careers technology grant programs. Prior to joining the justice center, Jan lead operational efforts across various industries, including financial consulting and property management. Jan earned a BA in criminal justice and an MA in public administration, specializing in operational oversight, from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

impact of mentoring on recidivism among juveniles on community supervision, correctional program assessment product development, and involvement in providing training and technical assistance to local and state agencies across the country. Stephanie completed her undergraduate studies in political science at Seattle University and is in the process of completing her doctoral studies in criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati.

Development for the Center for Community Alternatives, a nonprofit organization that provides alternative-to-incarceration programs. In this role, she focused on grant writing, program development, and building organizational capacity through data collection and program evaluation. Sara earned her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her MPA from the New York University Wagner School of Public Service.

over a decade of social service experience including supporting individuals exiting prison with behavioral health conditions in the Offender Reentry Community Safety Program and advocating for sexually exploited minors in King County Juvenile Detention. She holds a bachelor’s in community studies from Evergreen State College and is working to complete her master’s in criminal justice research and evaluation at Seattle University.

where she ensured the administration’s position on a range of social policy issues were conveyed to Congress; she also served as a legislative aide for a New Jersey state senator. Megan earned her BS in environmental policy from Rutgers University and her MPP from the University of Maryland.

Department of Health Service’s Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR). In his previous role as a Policy Analyst on the Economic Mobility team he provided technical assistance (on-and-off site) to Department of Corrections and tribal grantees; in Delaware, Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina, Texas and Navajo Nation for increasing the employability of individuals impacted by the criminal justice system. Additionally, Greg conducted the IRES Pilot Process Evaluation and co-authored the “Integrating Reentry and Employment Strategies (IRES) Pilot Project: Process Evaluation Report”. Prior to joining the Justice Center, Greg was a Project-Research Assistant at the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice at Policy Research Associates. As a Program Associate, he provided technical assistance to 9 pilot sites implementing a mental health model in the Juvenile Justice realm. Greg also coordinated and evaluated juvenile justice trainings delivered to CIT trained professionals, and juvenile probation, detention and corrections professionals. He earned his MA in Criminal Justice and Research from SUNY University at Albany’s School of Criminal Justice.

raised and distributed nearly $4 million annually to more than 200 grantee organizations. Lisa was also the chief operating officer of CharityUSA.com, where she oversaw a $9.5 million operating budget and sustained a 30-percent annual growth rate through cost-effective resource expansion for the international organization. Lisa received her BA in communications from the University of Washington.

proposing legislation to clarify and update existing statutes. As senior counsel at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, Jayné worked to advance economic justice reforms for marginalized communities. Previously, Jayné represented survivors of natural disasters in consumer and housing law matters, including the successful appeal of federal recoupment. Jayné received a JD from Rutgers University Law School and a BA in international studies from Oakwood University, a historically Black university in Huntsville, Alabama.  

and quality assurance. Prior to joining the CSG Justice Center, Jennifer worked as the research and continuous quality improvement administrator at Oriana House, a large community corrections agency in Ohio. In this role, Jennifer implemented and oversaw the training and coaching of staff on the use of effective interventions for people involved with the criminal justice system. Jennifer has also provided training and coaching services as an independent consultant to community corrections agencies throughout the U.S. Jennifer holds a BA in justice studies from Kent State University and an MA in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati.

of Innovations in Supervision Initiative and Innovations in Reentry Initiative grants. Prior to joining the CSG Justice Center, Olivia worked in the field of corrections, starting as a rehabilitation counselor for the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice. She later transitioned into the role of probation officer for Fairfax County, Virginia. Most recently her work included collecting, investigating, and verifying defendants’ background information to compile and develop reports for the Circuit Court, including sentencing guidelines and recommendations for court ordered supervision. Olivia holds an MBA from the University of Maryland University College, and a BS in criminal justice from Virginia Commonwealth University.

in Early Resolution Court. She also served as a public defender in St. Lawrence County, New York. She earned her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her JD from New York University. She is admitted to practice law in New York.

increasing data collection and reporting, leveraging technology and research to reduce revocations, and other initiatives that help states create sustainable criminal justice improvements. Elizabeth joined the CSG Justice Center in 2012 and previously served as program director for implementation of Justice Reinvestment and as deputy division director. Previously, Elizabeth was the director of governmental relations for the State Bar of Michigan, where she directed the public policy program. She holds a BA from the James Madison College at Michigan State University.

on projects related to the criminal justice response to crimes against American Indian and Alaska Native women. Alison also has experience conducting research on corrections, including topics such as prison violence, reentry, recidivism, and restorative justice. She earned her BS in public policy and administration from James Madison University, her MS in justice, law, and society from American University, and her PhD in justice, law, and society from American University.

director of Washington Appleseed, a legal advocacy organization dedicated to generating research-based public policy impacting underserved populations in Washington State. As executive director, she developed and directed multiagency projects on topics ranging from early childhood nutrition to community reentry from prison. Katie earned her BA in anthropology from the University of Virginia.

violence. Her research focuses on women’s and families’ experiences and needs related to trauma, criminalization, and access to social services. Carly started her career as a case manager for survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault. She holds a BA in psychology and French from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MA in social work, social policy, and social administration from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.

at Casey Family Programs, where she coordinated services to youth, young adults, and families involved in the child welfare system. Earlier in her career, Michelle was a mitigation specialist with the King County Office of Public Defense. In that role, she transitioned between the felony, mental health, and juvenile court systems to develop individual sentencing alternatives. Michelle received her BS in psychology and criminal justice at Seattle University and her MSW from the University of Washington.

base of their social service programs. She managed project implementation in multiple states and counties with the goal of redirecting resources toward effective programs with high returns on investment. She has also served as special assistant to the Vermont secretary of state, focusing on voting rights and accessibility and government transparency. She received a BS from the University of Vermont.

where she trained and educated young girls and women to value their voice in negotiations. She has also worked as a fundraiser for political candidates on the local, state, and federal levels. Lorretta has a bachelor's degree in political science from Canisius College and an MA from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.

San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, she established and led a restitution unit, serving as a resource for staff attorneys, crime victims and the California Victims of Crime and Government Claims Board. Most recently, at the California Attorney General’s Office she worked as a Senior Legal Analyst on the trial team prosecuting high profile public corruption, white collar crime and major sex trafficking cases throughout the state. Jackie earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Humphrey’s University and Master of Public Administration from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

the formulation of operational standards for correctional facilities, assisted with compliance audits, and traveled nationally and internationally to conduct training and technical assistance for correctional agencies. He received his BA in justice from the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, DC, and his MA in justice, law, and society with a concentration in terrorism and homeland security from American University.

director of Iowa Services and Projects with Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Having worked in direct service for over 20 years, she has led culturally specific programs serving communities of color and focusing on reentry, reunification, job readiness, and employment. Shundrea started her career in grassroots community organizing and holds a BBA from William Penn University, an MPA with a nonprofit emphasis from Drake University, and is completing a doctorate of education in leadership at Drake University.

the CSG Justice Center, she was the director of Research and Innovation at the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department (SCSD) in Boston, Massachusetts, where she oversaw the development, management, and measurement of SCSD policy innovation and programmatic strategy. Prior to SCSD, she worked as the director of Evaluation and Learning at Roca Inc., a Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization. Laura began her applied research career in the Boston Police Commissioner’s Office of Research and Development, where she coordinated and managed the City of Boston’s federal Second Chance Act Adult Reentry Demonstration Project grant-related programming. Laura holds a BA in sociology from Bates College, an MA in criminology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD in criminology and justice policy from Northeastern University.

for the Iowa Department of Justice, where she collaborated with statewide agencies and stakeholders to raise awareness and develop trauma-informed policies for victims of crime. She has also worked with Polaris in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP). Celine received her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and an MA in public policy from Duke University.

relating to medical care costs for the county jail system and the youth home detention facility. Ellen also worked as the Brooklyn director for a New York State Senator, and as a special assistant to the state director for a U.S. Senator in Chicago. Ellen holds a BA in Latin American history and sociology from Middlebury College, and an MA in public policy from Duke University.