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  • Includes a Live Web Event on 05/14/2024 at 2:00 PM (EDT)

    Pretrial Basics is an introductory workshop for anyone who is looking for a better understanding of how the process works, who is involved, and where there are opportunities for change.

    Join us on May 14 from 2pm-4pm ET for Pretrial Basics.

    Pretrial Basics is an introductory workshop for anyone who is looking for a better understanding of how the process works, who is involved, and where there are opportunities for change.  We will discuss the pretrial decision making process and the decision makers, the current national landscape, and different ways that communities are approaching change. You will have the chance to share your own questions, experiences, interests, and where you hope to go from here. 

    What You’ll Learn 

    • The goals of the pretrial process and its impact
    • The steps in the process, and who has the power to make decisions
    • Examples of current controversies and actions in the field
    • Where there are opportunities to get involved

    Who Should Take This Course?  This course is ideal for community members, organizers, or anyone new to pretrial justice who is looking for opportunities to take action.  

    We want to hear from you–and see you!  This workshop is very interactive, and you are welcome to bring your questions, experiences, and ideas to the conversion.  Plan to join from a computer with your camera on to get the most out of your experience.

    Got questions? Check out our FAQs or email us at courses@pretrial.org.

    Want to register for a different date or course? See the full calendar.

    Meghan Guevara

    Executive Partner

    Pretrial Justice Institute

    Meghan Guevara is an Executive Partner with the Pretrial Justice Institute, where she serves as a member of the leadership team and oversees PJI’s learning communities and technical assistance efforts. She has spent 20 years providing training and technical assistance to criminal justice and human services professionals engaged in systemic justice system reform. At PJI, Meghan works with elected officials, advocates, policymakers, and practitioners in pursuit of safe, fair, and equitable pretrial systems.

    Meghan began her career as a health educator working with young people in the youth justice and child welfare systems. She received a Master of Public Health degree in social and behavioral sciences from Boston University.

  • Includes a Live Web Event on 04/09/2024 at 2:00 PM (EDT)

    Pretrial Basics is an introductory workshop for anyone who is looking for a better understanding of how the process works, who is involved, and where there are opportunities for change.

    Join us on April 9 from 2pm-4pm ET for Pretrial Basics.

    Pretrial Basics is an introductory workshop for anyone who is looking for a better understanding of how the process works, who is involved, and where there are opportunities for change.  We will discuss the pretrial decision making process and the decision makers, the current national landscape, and different ways that communities are approaching change. You will have the chance to share your own questions, experiences, interests, and where you hope to go from here. 

    What You’ll Learn 

    • The goals of the pretrial process and its impact
    • The steps in the process, and who has the power to make decisions
    • Examples of current controversies and actions in the field
    • Where there are opportunities to get involved

    Who Should Take This Course?  This course is ideal for community members, organizers, or anyone new to pretrial justice who is looking for opportunities to take action.  

    We want to hear from you–and see you!  This workshop is very interactive, and you are welcome to bring your questions, experiences, and ideas to the conversion.  Plan to join from a computer with your camera on to get the most out of your experience.

    Got questions? Check out our FAQs or email us at courses@pretrial.org.

    Want to register for a different date or course? See the full calendar.

    Shavonte Keaton, Esq.

    Senior Associate

    Pretrial Justice Institute

    Shavonte is a Senior Associate at PJI, where she develops and implements the organization’s change work and curriculum. As a former foster youth and child of a formerly incarcerated parent, Shavonte has spent over a decade of her career using her legal expertise and life experiences to support her work in advancing systemic solutions to the distinct challenges and barriers that system-involved youth and families face. Her background includes working as a case manager for homeless youth and families as well as many years serving as a peer and professional advocate for current and former foster youth. Prior to coming to PJI, she served as the Georgia Assistant State Coordinator for the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. 

  • Recorded On: 08/11/2021

    ICJIA is pleased to announce its VOCA 2021 Institute: Equity in Victim Services. Held virtually this summer, the five-day Institute will challenge participants to address victim resource inequities and barriers to accessing existing resources.

    ICJIA is pleased to announce its VOCA 2021 Institute: Equity in Victim Services. Held virtually this summer, the five-day Institute will challenge participants to address victim resource inequities and barriers to accessing existing resources.

    Participants will address victim barriers to equity at all levels, including biases of individual service providers, unnecessary barriers created by agency policies and practices, systems level barriers, and structural/societal level factors. Using an anti-oppression framework, the Institute will challenge participants to move beyond “equal treatment for all” to actively anti-racist/anti-oppression policies and practices. Participants will be asked to critically analyze how the current service delivery models and systems are inequitable and identify strategies to address the issues. Participants will leave with a plan of action for both individual agency and systems change advocacy.  

    CG&G, a cutting edge LLC consulting firm that helps organizations create and foster a culture of equity and inclusion, will facilitate the Institute, which will further ICJIA’s goals of improving VOCA service delivery for underserved populations and ensuring equity is a top VOCA programming priority. 

    The five-day Institute will be held over two 2.5-day sessions and include homework assignments. Applicants must commit to participating in all five days of the Institute and completing homework assignments.  

    Monday, August 9th | 10:00am - 3:00pm 
    Tuesday, August 10th | 10:00am - 3:00pm
    Wednesday, August 11th | 1:00pm-3:30pm

    Monday, August 23rd | 10:00am - 3:00pm
    Tuesday, August 24th| 10:00am - 3:00pm
    Wednesday, August 25th | 1:00pm - 3:30pm

    Carolyne Miller Abdullah

    CG&G LLC, INTERNATIONAL

    CAROLYNE MILLER ABDULLAH brings experience in working with a variety of informal and formal leaders from all backgrounds and sectors makes it possible for her to offer strategies of ways to bring people together to discover their own solutions. She brings leadership on equity – with explicit, though not exclusive, attention to racial equity – to the fields of civic engagement, democracy reform, and philanthropy. Carolyne’s background includes work with the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) as a paralegal where she designed and conducted "know your rights" forums for the elderly as well as forums on landlord- tenant law for families with low financial assets in Cleveland, Mississippi. She also served in the federal sector for ten years in Washington, D.C., as a program analyst, budget analyst, and management analyst. Carolyne holds degrees (BA, MA) in political science from Alcorn State University and Iowa State University respectively, a public administration (MPA) degree from Penn State University and is ABD in political science (public policy) from the University of Connecticut. Her research involved an exploration of the intersection of public dialogue and deliberation in the area of policing and community building.

    Gwendolyn Poindexter Whiting

    CG&G LLC, INTERNATIONAL

    GWENDOLYN POINDEXTER WHITING Provides xpert coaching, facilitation, and mediation skills to support training and consulting work of staff and consultants. She is an accomplished consultant who specializes in organizational conflict resolution processes, including teamwork, diversity, cross-cultural conflict resolution, mediation, and facilitation. She has trained extensively in the United States and internationally. Gwen served as a conciliation specialist with the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service on its church burning response team under the Clinton administration. Her work with the United States Agency for International Development has taken her to more than 30 countries. She received her bachelor’s degree in education, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. She was also affiliated with the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, where she completed coursework and achieved candidacy level in its doctoral program.

    Gwen Wright

    CG&G LLC, INTERNATIONAL

    GWEN WRIGHT currently assists community and organizational leaders; local and state governments; and other groups develop and implement systems for more effective engagement in collective decision-making. This includes improving communication between government and community residents; strengthening public and higher education programs; assessing diversity, equity, and inclusion social justice initiatives; developing non-profit agendas; creating state-wide reform initiatives; and research. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College, City University of New York.

    Delrice Adams

    Acting Executive Director

    Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

    Providing Opening Remarks

    Delrice Adams is a social service and public health administrator with over 25 years’ experience in management of non-profits and local government agencies. Her areas of expertise include criminal justice, violence prevention and racial equity. Ms. Adams has a wealth of experience in grant administration, program development, community and stakeholder engagement, and policy and planning implementation. Ms. Adams has been appointed as the Executive Director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), nominated by Governor J.B. Pritzker pending confirmation from the Illinois Senate.

    As Acting Director of ICJIA, she is responsible for the direction of the agency, determining agency priorities, and administering resources and programs needed to meet agency goals. She will also serve as liaison to the governor, General Assembly, ICJIA Board members, and state and national criminal justice officials and organizations.

    Prior to ICJIA, Ms. Adams served as Executive Director of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council (JAC), where she was responsible for overseeing the public safety agenda for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. In that role, Ms. Adams was tasked with coordinating criminal and juvenile justice reform efforts in Cook County while preserving public safety and promoting fair and equitable access to justice. Ms. Adams also managed the counties grants for program services to address violence prevention, recidivism reduction and restorative justice.

    Prior to Cook County, Ms. Adams worked for the City of Chicago Department of Public Health Office of Violence Prevention and Behavioral Health. As a Public Health Administrator, she oversaw the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) portfolio of Restorative Justice and Violence Prevention Initiatives for the office and coordinated multiple community partners and stakeholders as a committee lead for Healthy Chicago 2.0; the City’s 5-year Strategic Plan. Ms. Adams also served as a Local Office Administrator for the Illinois Department of Human Services, where she developed service delivery strategies and workforce programs to advance welfare reform efforts.

    Ms. Adams is a 2019 Chicago United for Equity (CUE) fellow. She is a certified Trauma- Informed Trainer (CDPH, 2018). She is also a trained Circle Keeper. Ms. Adams received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and holds a master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.

    Equity & Inclusion Institute

    August 9th, 10th, 11th and 23rd, 24th, 25th

    Session A
    Day 1, Monday, August 9th
    "Personal Journey with Equity and Inclusion"
    10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT Exploring Equity & Inclusion
    12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT Lunch Break
    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT Going Deeper with Equity & Inclusion
    Day 2, Tuesday, August 10th
    "Organizational Journey with Equity & Inclusion"
    10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT Navigating Equity & Inclusion in Service Delivery – Holding Up the Mirror
    12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT Lunch Break
    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT A View of Inequity
    Day 3, Wednesday, August 11th
    "Applied Learning"
    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT “Walking the Talk”: Discussion; Activity; and Reflection
    Session B
    Day 1, Monday, August 23rd
    "Moving Towards Change I"
    10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. CT Recap of Session A
    10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT Fostering a Culture of Equity & Inclusion
    12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT Lunch Break
    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT Creating a Blueprint for Change (Part 1)
    Day 2, Tuesday, August 24th
    "Moving Towards Change II"
    10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT Creating a Blueprint for Change (Part 2)
    12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT Lunch Break
    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT Blueprint Presentation
    Day 3, Wednesday, August 25th
    "Carrying it Forward"
    1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CT Blueprint Presentation
    2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT Reflections & Closing Remarks
  • ICJIA is pleased to announce its VOCA 2021 Institute: Equity in Victim Services. Held virtually this summer, the five-day Institute will challenge participants to address victim resource inequities and barriers to accessing existing resources.

    ICJIA is pleased to announce its VOCA 2021 Institute: Equity in Victim Services. Held virtually this summer, the five-day Institute will challenge participants to address victim resource inequities and barriers to accessing existing resources.

    Participants will address victim barriers to equity at all levels, including biases of individual service providers, unnecessary barriers created by agency policies and practices, systems level barriers, and structural/societal level factors. Using an anti-oppression framework, the Institute will challenge participants to move beyond “equal treatment for all” to actively anti-racist/anti-oppression policies and practices. Participants will be asked to critically analyze how the current service delivery models and systems are inequitable and identify strategies to address the issues. Participants will leave with a plan of action for both individual agency and systems change advocacy.  

    CG&G, a cutting edge LLC consulting firm that helps organizations create and foster a culture of equity and inclusion, will facilitate the Institute, which will further ICJIA’s goals of improving VOCA service delivery for underserved populations and ensuring equity is a top VOCA programming priority. 

    The five-day Institute will be held over two 2.5-day sessions and include homework assignments. Applicants must commit to participating in all five days of the Institute and completing homework assignments.  

    Tuesday, July 6th | 10:00am - 3:00pm 
    Wednesday, July 7th | 10:00am - 3:00pm
    Thursday, July 8th | 1:00pm-3:30pm

    Monday, July 26th | 10:00am - 3:00pm
    Tuesday, July 27th| 10:00am - 3:00pm
    Wednesday, July 28th | 1:00pm - 3:30pm

    Carolyne Miller Abdullah

    CG&G LLC, INTERNATIONAL

    CAROLYNE MILLER ABDULLAH brings experience in working with a variety of informal and formal leaders from all backgrounds and sectors makes it possible for her to offer strategies of ways to bring people together to discover their own solutions. She brings leadership on equity – with explicit, though not exclusive, attention to racial equity – to the fields of civic engagement, democracy reform, and philanthropy. Carolyne’s background includes work with the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) as a paralegal where she designed and conducted "know your rights" forums for the elderly as well as forums on landlord- tenant law for families with low financial assets in Cleveland, Mississippi. She also served in the federal sector for ten years in Washington, D.C., as a program analyst, budget analyst, and management analyst. Carolyne holds degrees (BA, MA) in political science from Alcorn State University and Iowa State University respectively, a public administration (MPA) degree from Penn State University and is ABD in political science (public policy) from the University of Connecticut. Her research involved an exploration of the intersection of public dialogue and deliberation in the area of policing and community building.

    Gwendolyn Poindexter Whiting

    CG&G LLC, INTERNATIONAL

    GWENDOLYN POINDEXTER WHITING Provides xpert coaching, facilitation, and mediation skills to support training and consulting work of staff and consultants. She is an accomplished consultant who specializes in organizational conflict resolution processes, including teamwork, diversity, cross-cultural conflict resolution, mediation, and facilitation. She has trained extensively in the United States and internationally. Gwen served as a conciliation specialist with the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service on its church burning response team under the Clinton administration. Her work with the United States Agency for International Development has taken her to more than 30 countries. She received her bachelor’s degree in education, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. She was also affiliated with the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, where she completed coursework and achieved candidacy level in its doctoral program.

    Gwen Wright

    CG&G LLC, INTERNATIONAL

    GWEN WRIGHT currently assists community and organizational leaders; local and state governments; and other groups develop and implement systems for more effective engagement in collective decision-making. This includes improving communication between government and community residents; strengthening public and higher education programs; assessing diversity, equity, and inclusion social justice initiatives; developing non-profit agendas; creating state-wide reform initiatives; and research. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College, City University of New York.

    Delrice Adams

    Acting Executive Director

    Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

    Providing Opening Remarks

    Delrice Adams is a social service and public health administrator with over 25 years’ experience in management of non-profits and local government agencies. Her areas of expertise include criminal justice, violence prevention and racial equity. Ms. Adams has a wealth of experience in grant administration, program development, community and stakeholder engagement, and policy and planning implementation. Ms. Adams has been appointed as the Executive Director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), nominated by Governor J.B. Pritzker pending confirmation from the Illinois Senate.

    As Acting Director of ICJIA, she is responsible for the direction of the agency, determining agency priorities, and administering resources and programs needed to meet agency goals. She will also serve as liaison to the governor, General Assembly, ICJIA Board members, and state and national criminal justice officials and organizations.

    Prior to ICJIA, Ms. Adams served as Executive Director of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council (JAC), where she was responsible for overseeing the public safety agenda for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. In that role, Ms. Adams was tasked with coordinating criminal and juvenile justice reform efforts in Cook County while preserving public safety and promoting fair and equitable access to justice. Ms. Adams also managed the counties grants for program services to address violence prevention, recidivism reduction and restorative justice.

    Prior to Cook County, Ms. Adams worked for the City of Chicago Department of Public Health Office of Violence Prevention and Behavioral Health. As a Public Health Administrator, she oversaw the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) portfolio of Restorative Justice and Violence Prevention Initiatives for the office and coordinated multiple community partners and stakeholders as a committee lead for Healthy Chicago 2.0; the City’s 5-year Strategic Plan. Ms. Adams also served as a Local Office Administrator for the Illinois Department of Human Services, where she developed service delivery strategies and workforce programs to advance welfare reform efforts.

    Ms. Adams is a 2019 Chicago United for Equity (CUE) fellow. She is a certified Trauma- Informed Trainer (CDPH, 2018). She is also a trained Circle Keeper. Ms. Adams received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and holds a master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.

    Equity & Inclusion Institute

    July 6th, 7th, 8th and 26th, 27th and 28th

    Session A
    Day 1, Tuesday, July 6th
    "Personal Journey with Equity and Inclusion"
    10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT Exploring Equity & Inclusion
    12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT Lunch Break
    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT Going Deeper with Equity & Inclusion
    Day 2, Wednesday, July 7th
    "Organizational Journey with Equity & Inclusion"
    10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT Navigating Equity & Inclusion in Service Delivery – Holding Up the Mirror
    12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT Lunch Break
    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT A View of Inequity
    Day 3, Thursday, July 8th
    "Applied Learning"
    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT “Walking the Talk”: Discussion; Activity; and Reflection
    Session B
    Day 1, Monday, July 26th
    "Moving Towards Change I"
    10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. CT Recap of Session A
    10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT Fostering a Culture of Equity & Inclusion
    12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT Lunch Break
    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT Creating a Blueprint for Change (Part 1)
    Day 2, Tuesday, July 27th
    "Moving Towards Change II"
    10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT Creating a Blueprint for Change (Part 2)
    12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT Lunch Break
    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT Blueprint Presentation
    Day 3, Wednesday, July 28th
    "Carrying it Forward"
    1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CT Blueprint Presentation
    2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT Reflections & Closing Remarks
  • Recorded On: 01/29/2021

    Corrections Fatigue Town Hall

    Please use a current browser like Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox to register and attend the course. Internet Explorer, Netscape, and other older browsers are not supported. Windows 10, or a current version of the MacOS, are the preferred operating systems that will provide the best possible experience.

    image

    For about a decade now research evidence has been accumulating about the hazardous effects of correctional work in relation to staff’s mental and physical health, and their functioning in their professional and personal lives.

    This Town Hall discussion addresses how correctional occupational stressors impact the staff, and indirectly, the staff’s family members, as well as the offenders the staff manage.

    Approaches will be discussed to counter negative effects of the job—Corrections Fatigue—and to promote staff and agency health, wellness, and fulfillment.

    Regina "Regi" Huerter

    Senior Project Associate, Policy Research, Inc.

    Regina “Regi” Huerter joined Policy Research Associates, Inc. in 2017 as Senior Project Associate to provide training and technical assistance to counties engaged in the MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge and in particular, those addressing the intersection of behavioral health and justice. In addition, her skills and experience are used by the PRA SAMHSA GAINS Center and other PRA staff working on broader behavioral health issues.  

    Prior to joining PRA, she was the Executive Director of the Denver Office of Behavioral Health Strategies and Crime Prevention and Control Commission.  Regina was raised in Greeley, Colorado where she began her work with youth in 1978 as a counselor in residential facilities and youth mentoring. In 1982 she moved to Denver to work for Metro Denver Partners, a mentoring organization; in 1991, she was instrumental in creating the Gang Rescue and Support Program known as GRASP.  She joined the Denver District Attorney’s Office in 1993, where she created and ran the Juvenile Diversion Program.  After more than a decade at the DA office, she left to be the CEO for Urban Peak, a young adult homeless housing and intervention program.  She was called back the City in 2005 to start up the Crime Prevention and Control Commission, which is now under the Office of Behavioral Health Strategies which she helped set up and began overseeing in July, 2015.  Her work for the City and County of Denver resulted in youth and adult justice reform across the system. 

    Ms. Huerter holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado and a Master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Colorado. Regina is known nationally for her expertise in creating justice-system change, in particular behavioral health and trauma informed practices, and for her work with gangs and youth subcultures. Regina was adjunct faculty for Metropolitan State University of Denver, and served on Colorado’s Criminal and Juvenile Justice Commission and the Governor’s Behavior Health Transformation Council. She is currently a founding board member for Caring For Denver Foundation. Regina is the recipient of several awards, including those she is most proud of -- the 9 News “9 Who Care” and 2008 NAMI Colorado “Heroes in the Fight” -- for advocacy and creating changes in the mental health/criminal justice system.

    Caterina Spinaris, Ph.D., LPC

    Executive Director, Desert Waters Correctional Outreach

    Caterina Spinaris, Ph.D., LPC, is a licensed professional counselor in the State of Colorado with 33 years of clinical experience. She holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Psychology from the University of Calgary, Canada, and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Lesley University. She is the founding director of Desert Waters Correctional Outreach, a Colorado-based 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established in 2003 with the mission to promote the occupational, personal and family well-being of the corrections workforce through the provision of evidence-informed resources, solutions, and support. Caterina’s passion is designing evidence-informed educational wellness materials for corrections agencies. She has also treated corrections professionals and family members; conducted research on corrections occupational health; and oversaw the crisis hotline, the Corrections Ventline. Her research interests include resilience, post-traumatic stress disorder, and Corrections Fatigue—a term she coined in 2000, which denotes the cumulative negative effects of operational, organizational, and traumatic stressors associated with corrections work. Caterina authored the book, “Staying Well: Strategies for Corrections Staff,” and co-authored the e-book, “Processing Corrections Work: A Workbook to Combat Corrections Fatigue and Increase Corrections Fulfillment.” She is the editor of the book series, “Passing It Along: Wisdom from Corrections Staff,” and of Desert Waters’ monthly e-zine, the Correctional Oasis. In 2014, she received the Harry Tinsley Award from the Colorado Criminal Justice Association for outstanding achievement in the field of criminal justice, and in 2016, the International Association of Correctional Training Personnel selected Caterina’s course “From Corrections Fatigue to Fulfillment” for its Commercial Product award of excellence.

    Tony Gonzales III

    Tony Gonzales started his career in 1995 at Corcoran State Prison of the California Department of Corrections. He worked as a Correctional Officer for 11 years, and was promoted to Correctional Sergeant in 2006. In 2014, Tony accepted a special assignment as a Background for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). In 2016, Tony was promoted to Correctional Lieutenant at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison at Corcoran (CSATF/SP), and in May 2020 Tony promoted to Correctional Captain at CSATF/SP.

    Brent Parker

    Training Manager, Desert Waters Correctional Outreach

    Brent Parker has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Illinois State University.   He retired from the Colorado Department of Corrections, after 30 years of service, where he moved through the ranks from Correctional Officer to Director of Training.  He taught criminal justice classes at the Pueblo Community College, and served NIC as a Regional Trainer, and ACA as a local chapter board member, national presenter, committee member and standard's delegate.  After retiring from the CDOC, Brent served locally at the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, where he developed training programs and worked with probation and local specialty courts.  Brent has devoted his working life to the success and safety of both staff and offenders.  He continues to promote corrections employees’ well-being as the Director of Training for Desert Waters Correctional Outreach.  He has been involved in corrections at all levels and understands from first-hand experience the challenges faced by correctional staff and administrators. 

    Michelle Staley

    Correctional Treatment Board Coordinator, Colorado State Court Administrator’s Office

    Michelle holds a degree in Behavioral Science and is a Certified Addiction Counselor III. She spent 12 years serving as a Probation Officer to both juvenile and adult populations. She worked primarily with mental health and co-occurring caseloads. While working in probation she became a licensed instructor for Corrections Fatigue. She then transitioned to the Colorado State Mental Health Hospital at Fort Logan as a Counselor for co-occurring patients. Her experience includes implementation of evidence-based practices, multi-disciplinary collaboration, specialized programs and grant coordination.

    Lisa Williams

    Major, Illinois Department of Corrections, Hill Correctional Center

    Lisa began her career with the Illinois Department of Corrections in 1999 as Correctional Officer in Training (COT), followed by working the 2nd shift for most of her career.  In 2014 she was promoted to a Lieutenant and in 2019 was promoted to a Correctional Major, Shift Supervisor at Hill Correctional Center.   As a CF2F facilitator she is able to understand the greater impact of correctional fatigue across systems and institutions, especially during times of added stress during COVID-19. Ms. Williams is newly married and the mother of 7, and grandmother to two grandchildren. 

  • Recorded On: 01/27/2021

    In this webinar, the Justice Management Institute and Urban Institute will highlight the role and value of jail population managers/review boards in several counties across the US. We’ll be asking sites to share and discuss some of their key takeaways and lessons learned.

    The Safety and Justice Challenge is centered on the reduction of jail use and addressing jail misuse across the US. SJC members have been creative, nimble, and assertive in testing strategies to address the challenges within their jail systems and their wider communities. Some jurisdictions have established specific positions or review boards responsible for monitoring their jail population for trends, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement in their processes, and identifying opportunities for release, bond modification, or expedited case resolution. 

    In this webinar, the Justice Management Institute and Urban Institute will highlight the role and value of jail population managers/review boards in several counties across the US. We’ll be asking sites to share and discuss some of their key takeaways and lessons learned.

    Tom Eberly of Justice Management Institute and Evelyn McCoy of Urban Institute will be moderating this discussion.

    Tom Eberly

    Program Director, Justice Management Institute

    Tom joined Justice Management Institute in May 2015 as Program Director after more than twenty years in the criminal justice system at the county level.

    Tom recently served as Criminal Justice Director in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina where he addressed key criminal justice issues and was involved in impactful initiatives. Tom collaborated with the BJA on Justice Reinvestment, a nationwide project to reduce criminal justice system costs while increasing public safety. He also created and oversaw Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services, consisting of pretrial services, treatment courts, forensic evaluation, re-entry services, and criminal justice planning. Before becoming Criminal Justice Director, Tom focused on jail diversion programs as Jail and Justice Director for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. While in this role, Tom formed the Criminal Justice Advisory Group and assisted in the development of Crisis Intervention Training.

    Before moving to North Carolina, Tom was the Deputy Director at the Institute for Law and Policy Planning in Berkeley, California, where he analyzed and provided recommendations to criminal justice systems across the country. In addition, he served as Criminal Justice Coordinator for Summit and Lake Counties in Ohio.

    Tom holds a Master of Arts from the University of Akron and a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University.

    Evelyn McCoy

    Training and Technical Assistance Manager, Justice Policy Center, The Urban Insitute

    Evelyn F. McCoy is a training and technical assistance manager in the Justice Policy Center at the Urban Institute, where she conducts research on incarcerated women, alternatives to incarceration, prison and jail programming, and human trafficking and survivors’ experiences in the justice system and with community-based service provider agencies. McCoy has expertise in program design and implementation, mixed methods research, policy analysis, and technical assistance.

    McCoy coleads the evaluation of Maximizing OVC’s Survivor Assistance in Court Settings and forms part of the Evaluation of the Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking research team. McCoy also develops and delivers direct technical assistance to jurisdictions nationwide through the Safety and Justice Challenge Innovation Fund to help justice and nonjustice agencies implement efforts to transform their use of jails and the Family Connections in Correctional Facilities Project to assist facilities in implementing practices to support family relationships while parents are incarcerated.

    McCoy earned her master’s degree in sociology and public policy at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, where her research focused on victim services and service delivery models for youth survivors of sex trafficking. McCoy earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

  • Recorded On: 12/15/2020

    How the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion is approached within the community, law enforcement , detention, courts, reentry and community corrections, truly can be the key to unlocking some of the doors of mistrust certain communities of color maintain. After the death of George Floyd, many individuals, organizations and communities identified systemic racism as a barrier to justice and equity across our country. Many organizations and communities have begun diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in response to their commitment to do "something" to address the impacts of systemic racism and oppression. But what do we do after we have finished talking? Ideas + Action = Change Join us for this compelling, thought provoking, Post-webinar Panel Discussion that will detail how in order to truly create an organizational culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and engagement, we must first establish a foundation of safety, trust, transparency, collaboration, mutuality, peer support, empowerment, voice and choice.

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    How the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion is approached within the community, law enforcement , detention, courts, reentry and community corrections, truly can be the key to unlocking some of the doors of mistrust certain communities of color maintain.

    After the death of George Floyd, many individuals, organizations and communities identified systemic racism as a barrier to justice and equity across our country. Many organizations and communities have begun diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in response to their commitment to do "something" to address the impacts of systemic racism and oppression. But what do we do after we have finished talking? Ideas + Action = Change

    Join us for this compelling, thought provoking, Post-webinar Panel Discussion that will detail how in order to truly create an organizational culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and engagement, we must first establish a foundation of safety, trust, transparency, collaboration, mutuality, peer support, empowerment, voice and choice.

    Lisa Maye

    Senior Project Associate, Policy Research, Inc.

    Lisa Maye is a Senior Project Associate with PRI and joined the company in 2019. She provides technical assistance, meeting facilitation, and project management to jurisdictions involved in the MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge, specifically to those who have developed behavioral health and criminal justice strategies. Prior to joining PRI, she served as a Public Service Assistant faculty member with the University of Georgia (UGA), Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG). 

    Ms. Maye’s career experience has provided her with sound knowledge of organizational and programmatic development. Ms. Maye previously held management positions at the state level, including the Georgia Department of Corrections’ Office of Health Services, Mental Health Department, where she provided technical oversight to mental health programs, policy, ancillary services, training and comprehensive audits. She has also served as Program Director with the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Family and Children Services, in the Permanency, Adoptions and Resource Development programs. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker and earned a Corrections Leadership Institute certificate from UGA/CVIOG. Ms. Maye has a special interest in systems theory, solution focused decision making, program planning and design, meeting facilitation, governmental administration and management, and organizational social work.


    Ms. Maye received her Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University, in the city of New York, and her Bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare from Adelphi University, located in Garden City New York.

    Michael Finley

    Chief Of Strategy And Implementation, W. Haywood Burns Institute; Roundtable Participant, The Square One Project

    Michael Finley is the Chief of Strategy and Implementation with the W. Haywood Burns Institute. Michael has nearly two decades of experience working to reduce racial and ethnic disparities on a national policy level and in local jurisdictions across the country.

    Michael joined the Burns Institute in 2001 as a site manager working collaboratively with stakeholders to implement the BI process and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in local youth justice systems. He helped develop the BI’s site based strategies and tools such as the Readiness Assessment Consultation. Most recently, Michael served as the Director of Site Management where he supervised BI’s site based work, trained new site managers and conducted hundreds of disparities related trainings around the country. Prior to joining the BI, Michael was the Disproportionate Minority Confinement Coordinator in the State of Maryland where he worked with local and state leaders to develop plans to reduce racial disparities throughout the state.


    Michael began his legal career as a Soros Justice Postgraduate Fellow with the Youth Law Center in Washington, D.C, a non-profit public interest law firm. At the Youth Law Center, he was involved in reform litigation and policy work focused on improving the conditions of confinement for children in state custody and racial and ethnic disparities in the youth justice system.


    Michael is the recipient of the National Juvenile Detention Association’s Service Award, the American Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division Child Advocacy Award and the Frederick Abramson Memorial Foundation Fellowship for his advocacy on behalf of children. Prior to joining the Youth Law Center in 1999, Mr. Finley served as the judicial clerk for the Honorable David B. Mitchell in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. He is a graduate of Morehouse College and George Washington University School of Law.

    Jacqueline Bunn

    Board Member, Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles

    Currently, Ms. Bunn serves on the State Board of Pardons and Paroles and is also a member of the Georgia Bar Journal’s Editorial Board.


    Ms. Bunn began her career with the state of Georgia in 1997 as an assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Section for the Georgia Department of Law. In December of 2006, she served as deputy director in the Legal Services Unit of the Georgia Department of Public Safety. Ms.Bunn was appointed by Governor Deal to serve as the executive director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in 2013.


    She earned her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and her law degree from the University of Georgia.

    Menelik Alleyne

    Deputy Division Director, Equal Employment Opportunity Office, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)

    With over 25 years of leadership experience supporting equity initiatives and underserved communities, Menelik Alleyne currently serves as the Deputy Division Director of the Equal Employment Opportunity Office of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).  However, constant in Mr. Alleyne’s career has been an interest and commitment to criminal justice issues. 


    To that end, his earlier experiences reflect a focus on equity in criminal justice.  For over a decade in Georgia, his varied roles within the Department of Human Services (DHS), including within its Office of General Counsel and as a Senior Policy Administrator, Mr. Alleyne addressed the macro-level needs of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems; bolstering its continuum of care. Among other successes, working closely with the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), the Juvenile Courts and other key stakeholders, his efforts led to the successful statewide implementation of H.B. 242 – Children in Need of Supervision (CHINS) around issues of community planning, reentry, access and service delivery.  He also worked to support equity for Georgia’s Native American Tribes regarding the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).  Still, in other roles, he served Georgia with a focus on reentry and workforce development for returning citizens as a key priority as the State’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Director. 


    As an Adjunct Professor in the Criminal Justice Department of Westwood College for 5 years,  he was a member of the nationwide Criminal Justice Curriculum  Committee and taught key courses, including Mental Health Issues in Criminal Justice, Probation & Parole and Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice, among others.  Mr. Alleyne was recognized as Westwood’s Faculty of the Year in 2010.


    Some of Mr. Alleyne’s earlier experiences include roles at the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office in New York, and later the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, Inc. (NDS).  The latter, chaired by Haywood Burns and supported by The Vera Institute of Justice, provided a dynamic, community-centered approach to criminal defense and equity within the criminal justice system.  Moreover, NDS sought to address the comprehensive needs of each client, including mental and behavioral health with its own in-house interdisciplinary service teams as well as through collaboration.


    Mr. Alleyne possesses a B.S. in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Race Relations from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Juris Doctorate from the University at Buffalo, School of Law.   He is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, and the States of Georgia and New York. 

  • Recorded On: 12/04/2020

    The Misdemeanor Mental Health Court (MMHC), formerly known and established as the Diversion Treatment Court, is the longest-running mental health court of its kind in Georgia. It’s now recognized as one of 43 Georgia certified adult mental health accountability courts. Serving a diverse and targeted population in DeKalb County, Georgia, the MMHC’s focus is on treatment instead of incarceration. This webinar will highlight how the MMHC incorporates fairness, equity, and inclusion for its participant base. Participants enter the Court through Sequential Intercepts 1 through 3.

    The Misdemeanor Mental Health Court (MMHC), formerly known and established as the Diversion Treatment Court, is the longest-running mental health court of its kind in Georgia. It’s now recognized as one of 43 Georgia certified adult mental health accountability courts. Serving a diverse and targeted population in DeKalb County, Georgia, the MMHC’s focus is on treatment instead of incarceration.

    This webinar will highlight how the MMHC incorporates fairness, equity, and inclusion for its participant base. Participants enter the Court through Sequential Intercepts 1 through 3.

    Lisa Maye

    Senior Project Associate, Policy Research, Inc.

    Lisa Maye is a Senior Project Associate with PRI and joined the company in 2019. She provides technical assistance, meeting facilitation, and project management to jurisdictions involved in the MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge, specifically to those who have developed behavioral health and criminal justice strategies. Prior to joining PRI, she served as a Public Service Assistant faculty member with the University of Georgia (UGA), Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG). 

    Ms. Maye’s career experience has provided her with sound knowledge of organizational and programmatic development. Ms. Maye previously held management positions at the state level, including the Georgia Department of Corrections’ Office of Health Services, Mental Health Department, where she provided technical oversight to mental health programs, policy, ancillary services, training and comprehensive audits. She has also served as Program Director with the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Family and Children Services, in the Permanency, Adoptions and Resource Development programs. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker and earned a Corrections Leadership Institute certificate from UGA/CVIOG. Ms. Maye has a special interest in systems theory, solution focused decision making, program planning and design, meeting facilitation, governmental administration and management, and organizational social work.


    Ms. Maye received her Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University, in the city of New York, and her Bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare from Adelphi University, located in Garden City New York.

    Judge Rhathelia Stroud

    Magistrate

    Georgia Magistrate Court

    Judge Rhathelia Stroud is the presiding judge of the Misdemeanor Mental Health Court (MMHC) of Dekalb County, GA. She has served as presiding judge for the past nine years, and also served as the court’s director for seven years. Judge Stroud has been a Magistrate for eleven years. Judge Stroud has served as faculty for the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education (ICJE) eLearning 20-Hour Jail Diversion Online Course and for Emory University’s School of Law Kessler-Eidson Trial Techniques Program. Before serving on the bench, Judge Stroud was a practicing attorney and partner with Mitchell Graham & Stroud, P. C. in Decatur, Georgia and worked as Deputy General Counsel and Executive Director for the Department of Community Health (DCH) and the DCH’s Division of Health Planning, respectively.  Her civic and professional affiliations include the State Bar of Georgia, DeKalb Lawyers Association’s Community and Education Foundation, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc. and the Providence Baptist Church Trustee Ministry.

    Samantha Mellerson

    Chief, Strategy & Impact

    W. Haywood Burns Institute

    Samantha Mellerson is a member of the Executive Leadership Team with the W. Haywood Burns Institute. As such, her work involves strategic planning, organizational development, financial oversite, project development and managing relationships with community leaders and system decision makers, funders and other partners across the nation. Sam brings over 15 years of experience working with issues of social justice, racial and ethnic equity, education, diversity, youth justice, child welfare and wellbeing. She also brings a depth of knowledge around nonprofit capacity building and is a certified empowerment and diversity coach. Sam has worked across public and private sectors in various capacities such as non-profit direct service and management, local and state government and philanthropy.

    Samantha previously worked for the Annie E. Casey Foundation as the Senior Associate of Capacity Building.  Her primary focus was to strengthen the field of the nonprofit sector by increasing organizational effectiveness through a race equity informed and results based capacity building strategy to produce meaningful results for children and families.

    Prior to joining Casey, Samantha was the Chief Operating Officer for the Department of Social Services for Baltimore City, where she worked on and led major Child Welfare and Family Investment Administration reforms.

    Sam also served as the Chief Program Officer for Baltimore’s Local Management Board, The Family League, where she was responsible for delivering results within a portfolio of work that included Out of School Time; Food and Nutrition Programs; Community Schools; Ready by 21 Initiatives; Disproportionate Minority Contact and Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities; and System Reform.

    Samantha has many years of experience and expertise in community based programming such as alternatives to detention, and youth and parent engagement through her work history as the Detention Reduction Advocacy Program Director for Building Communities Today for Tomorrow, Inc.; a Case Developer for the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office Juvenile Offender Project; an Assessment Placement Specialist for an Annie E. Casey Foundation Department of Juvenile Justice Special Project; a Case Management Supervisor for the Baltimore Empowerment Project’s Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice Detention, Diversion and Advocacy Program; and as a Forensic Adult Case Manager with the Suncoast Center for Community Mental Health in Florida.

    Samantha is a graduate from the University of Toronto, and is an active community volunteer and serves on several committees and boards focused on giving young people greater opportunities to thrive.

  • Recorded On: 10/02/2020

    Join us for the October First Friday Forum for a conversation with April Frazier Camara of the Black Public Defender Association and Raj Jayadev from Silicon Valley De-Bug on Community Supports + Public Defense. We'll be discussing what people need to be successful while their case is pending, the role that defense attorneys can play in meeting those needs, and how support can be provided in the community, by the community.

    Please use a current browser like Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox to register and attend the webinar. Internet Explorer, Netscape, and other older browsers are not supported. Windows 10, or a current version of the MacOS are the preferred operating systems that will provide the best possible experience.
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    Join us for the October First Friday Forum for a conversation with April Frazier Camara of the National Black Public Defenders Association and Raj Jayadev from Silicon Valley De-Bug on Community Supports + Public Defense.  We'll be discussing what people need to be successful while their case is pending, the role that defense attorneys can play in meeting those needs, and how support can be provided in the community, by the community.  

    April Frazier Camara

    Director of Defender Legal Services Initiatives, NLADA

    April Frazier-Camara is the Director of Leadership and Professional Development at the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (“NLADA”). She is a nationally recognized trainer in the area of leadership, holistic defense, diversity and inclusion, and criminal justice reform. Prior to joining NLADA, April worked as a community public defender at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, which is widely recognized as the national model for quality public defense. She later served as the Special Assistant in the Juvenile Defender Unit at the Law Office of the Shelby County Public Defender where she was responsible for implementing Department of Justice reforms and helping to build the first-ever holistic and team-based juvenile defense practice in Shelby County that employed both social workers and attorneys. She also has experience working on national policy reform at the American Bar Association in Washington, D.C. and Legal Action Center in NY. She is a leader within the American Bar Association currently serving as vice-chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section and member of the ABA Women in Criminal Justice Taskforce. As a former co-chair of the ABA CJS Diversity and Inclusion Committee, she was responsible for the creation and implementation of the CJS Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship Program. She is also the co-founder of the new Black Public Defender Association, which is a membership section of the NLADA. April is a graduate of Tennessee State University and Howard University School of Law.

    Raj Jayadev

    National Participatory Defense Network

    Meghan Guevara

    Executive Partner, PJI

    Meghan Guevara is an Executive Partner with the Pretrial Justice Institute, where she serves as a member of the leadership team and oversees PJI’s learning communities and technical assistance efforts. She has spent 20 years providing training and technical assistance to criminal justice and human services professionals engaged in systemic justice system reform.

    At PJI, she works with elected officials, advocates, policymakers and practitioners in pursuit of safe, fair, and equitable pretrial systems. Meghan began her career as a health educator working with young people in the youth justice and child welfare systems. She received a Master of Public Health degree in social and behavioral sciences from Boston University.

  • Recorded On: 09/11/2020

    For a decade, PJI's engagement around police reform was limited to the idea of an expanded use of pre-arrest diversion and citations in lieu of custodial arrest. The idea, of course, was that the fewer people needlessly booked into the jail, the less chance they would have of being impacted by money bond, onerous supervision requirements, and now risk assessment. But the events of this year have asked us to think more deeply about policing reforms versus defunding the police. Even if other systems —health care, child welfare, employment, housing — were fully funded, are they free of systemic racism and ready to take over? Join us for a lively debate about the history of the police, the impact of militarization, and for those of us working on pretrial justice, where we might plug in to the calls for a radical reimagining of policing.

    Please use a current browser like Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox to register and attend the webinar. Internet Explorer, Netscape, and other older browsers are not supported. Windows 10, or a current version of the MacOS are the preferred operating systems that will provide the best possible experience.
    image


    For a decade, PJI's engagement around police reform was limited to the idea of an expanded use of pre-arrest diversion and citations in lieu of custodial arrest. The idea, of course, was that the fewer people needlessly booked into the jail, the less chance they would have of being impacted by money bond, onerous supervision requirements, and now risk assessment. But the events of this year have asked us to think more deeply about policing reforms versus defunding the police. Even if other systems —health care, child welfare, employment, housing — were fully funded, are they free of systemic racism and ready to take over?  Join us for a lively debate about the history of the police, the impact of militarization, and for those of us working on pretrial justice, where we might plug in to the calls for a radical reimagining of policing. 

    This Zoom event is FREE and open to ALL, but registration is required. (Please sign up for a complimentary University of Pretrial account to participate.)

    Howard Henderson

    Director, Center for Justice Research at Texas Southern University

    Howard Henderson is the founding director of the Center for Justice Research in the Barbara Jordan – Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University. He is a professor of justice administration and former graduate program director in the Administration of Justice Department. Howard is an expert on culturally responsive criminal justice research, program evaluations and assessment instrument validations. Dr. Henderson serves as an advisory board member of the Vera Institute’s Rural Jail Research Policy Network and as a member of the National Scientific Advisory Committee at the Institute of Justice Research and Development at Florida State University.

    Recently, Dr. Henderson served as the chair of the data subcommittee for Houston Racial/Ethnic Disparities Committee Data Workgroup supported by the MacArthur Foundation. Recently, Howard completed the National Science Foundation-funded project with the Baylor College of Medicine’s Initiative on Neuroscience and Law that designed an iPAD risk assessment application that determined decision-making characteristics of the criminal justice involved through a range of cognitive traits. Dr. Henderson has also developed a multi-university research collaborative that provides mentoring opportunities for minority graduate students and university-level faculty. This program seeks to develop a synergistic pairing of mentee-mentor through mutual p rofessional interest and technical expertise.

    He is a former member of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Multidisciplinary Advisory Board overseeing the U.S. Department of Justice – U.S. Department of Labor’s Prison Reentry Initiative. Dr. Henderson also was an instructor in the United States Department of State’s International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA). In previous work, he has examined the effect of perceived procedural justice and legitimacy on inmate behavior, predictive equity among risk assessment instruments, and a host of culturally-responsive criminal justice program evaluations.

    Howard’s research on predictive bias and program evaluation has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Department of Justice, and most recently the collaborative efforts of the Center for Advancing Opportunity, Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Charles Koch Foundation. Dr. Henderson has served as an expert advisor for state and federal legislators and a host of criminal justice agencies along with reform-oriented non-profit organizations.

    Dr. Henderson received his B.S. in criminal justice administration from Middle Tennessee State University, his masters of criminal justice from Tennessee State University, and his PhD in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University in 2006.

    Keturah J. Herron

    Policy Strategist, Juvenile Justice at the ACLU of Kentucky

    Keturah J. Herron, born and raised in Kentucky, is a social justice advocate and change agent with over 15 years experience working with youth and families involved in the social service and the criminal justice systems. While in graduate school, Herron focused on the effects of parental incarceration on youth and disproportionate minority contact within the juvenile justice system in Kentucky. Since then, she has mentored and supported youth and families in rural and urban Kentucky as well as communities in South Carolina and Hawaii working in a variety of settings - juvenile youth facilities, community-based organizations and in the court system.

    More recently, Herron’s work has focused on policy change through a social justice lens. She is working closely with the Jefferson County Public Schools System Alternative School Task Force and Race Equity Policy in, Louisville, KY with a focus to end the school to prison pipeline. She is also active with several local groups: Kentuckians For the Commonwealth; Black Lives Matter Louisville; ACLU Kentucky; and Louisville Family Justice Advocates. 

    Currently, Herron is building a culturally responsive curriculum for justice-involved youth that integrates trauma-informed healing and leadership development.

    Herron is a graduate of the University of Louisville and holds a Masters in Juvenile Justice from Eastern Kentucky University.

    Dr. Earl Smith

    Author, Policing Black Bodies

    Earl Smith, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Sociology and the Rubin Distinguished Professor of American Ethnic Studies at Wake Forest University. He is the Director of the Wake Forest University American Ethnic Studies Program. Professor Smith has numerous publications (books, articles, book chapters etc.) in the area of professions, social stratification, family, urban sociology, and has published extensively in the area of the sociology of sport. His sport-focused books are: Sociology of Sport and Social Theory (2010) and Race, Sport and the American Dream (3rd edition 2014). He has also published: African American Families: Myths and Realities (2nd ed., 2014), The Social Dynamics of Family Violence (3rd ed., 2020), Prisoner Reentry and Social Capital (2010), Interracial Intimacies (2009); Interracial Relationships (2009); African American Families (2007). His most recent books are: Policing Black Bodies: How Black Lives Are Surveilled and How to Work for Change (2018) and Gender, Power, and Violence: Responding to Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence in Society Today (2019). He is currently finishing a book based on ethnographic research in a state prison system interviewing COs and inmates (2020). He received his M.A. and PhD from the University of Connecticut at Storrs.

    Cherise Fanno Burdeen (Moderator)

    Executive Partner, Pretrial Justice Institute

    Cherise Fanno Burdeenhas spent more than 20 years working to improve public safety policies and practices across the country. After earning a bachelor’s in public administration from Miami University (Ohio) and a master’s in criminal justice from Indiana University, she began her career with the DOJ's National Institute of Justice. After fieldwork that included time with the Safer Foundation in Chicago and post-9/11 federal service with the Department of Homeland Security, Cherise joined PJI.

    Since 2006, Cherise has developed innovative strategies to raise awareness of pretrial justice issues, amassed a broad constituency of criminal justice stakeholder groups, provided technical assistance and training on policy reforms, and engaged in communications and media efforts. She has extensive experience with strategic planning, initiative management, and change efforts across the criminal justice system. She serves as an issue expert for legal and correctional professionals, national and community advocates, the media, influencers, and artists.