6 minute read
From the Staff
FROM THE STAFF Why We Do This Work
The CSG Justice Center has 120 staff members, each with their own inspiration for why they do this work. Some have been with the CSG Justice Center for more than a decade, while others just joined — but what they all have in common is a commitment to building safer, stronger and healthier communities and ensuring second chances for all. Here are just a few of their stories, in their own words.
Jowan Burton
PROJECT MANAGER
Two years with the CSG Justice Center
“The CSG Justice Center is pushing for responsible reform, racial equity and reducing barriers to success in criminal justice institutions each day. We are dedicated to delivering the tools and assistance to ensure that practitioners, legislators and stakeholders have the resources to deliver the highest quality service to individuals and communities that are impacted by justice institutions; and that is why I choose to be a part of this team. It’s a great feeling to be connected to the teams and their projects.”
Valerie Carpico
PROJECT MANAGER
One year with the CSG Justice Center
“I chose to be part of the CSG Justice Center team after previously working with the organization as a grantee. During my first year at the CSG Justice Center, my thinking about safety and justice has grown. I see our work as forward thinking and a partnership with states, counties and communities. The work we do helps better the lives of those in our community, and I am proud to be a part of this team.”
Caleb Duncan
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE
Nine months with the CSG Justice Center
“My father was involved in the criminal justice system during my childhood. As a result, I had a front-row seat to the harmful impact this experience had on him and our family. He had extreme difficulty finding consistent work, obtaining treatment and reintegrating back into our community. In short, the experience ruined his life in every possible way. A few years ago, I realized how important it was for me to find a job with an organization that prioritizes making a positive impact in our community through systemic change. I wanted to go home at night knowing that I was part of a solution to a big problem. The work done by the CSG Justice Center has reinforced my belief that the efforts of a community of people willing to accept the importance of a second chance can save someone’s life.”
Alexandria Hawkins
POLICY ANALYST
1.5 years with the CSG Justice Center
“I chose to work at the CSG Justice Center to make impactful change in the provision of behavioral health services to individuals in the justice system. I saw working here as an opportunity to learn more about how systems function nationally and how they can better serve people returning to their communities. I now see safety and justice as outcomes of effective and quality behavioral health programming.”
Aisha Jamil
PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGER
10 months with the CSG Justice Center
“I chose to be a part of the CSG Justice Center because I have always worked for agencies that are mission-centric. As a former social worker, I find that my personal and professional values align perfectly here. I enjoy the work I do and feel as if I’m an integral part of finding solutions to keep my community safe and just.”
Jennifer Kisela
DEPUTY PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Seven years with the CSG Justice Center
“I came to the CSG Justice Center to have a greater impact on the criminal justice system and to help make positive change. What I did not expect was the profound impact that the organization would have on me. Care, compassion and thoughtfulness go into not only external discussions and policies but internal conversations as well. There is still so much work to be done to provide a more fair and equitable criminal justice system, and I can't wait to see what we can do over the next 20 years.”
Jay Nelson
DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS Nearly 14 years with the CSG Justice Center
“I chose to work at the CSG Justice Center because I heard from friends on the Hill that it was the organization they turned to for policy expertise on criminal justice and public safety issues. Before coming to the CSG Justice Center, I had no idea that criminal justice issues were bipartisan on the Hill and in the states. I’ve seen how policymakers from both sides of the aisle have used our research-driven strategies to impact their communities positively. And I have gained more knowledge about responding to people with behavioral health needs during my time here.”
Mark Stovell
PROJECT MANAGER
Nearly eight years with the CSG Justice Center
“Working here has given me the opportunity to support different systems around the country as they respond to people with behavioral health needs. The local, state, Tribal and national reach of our work is one of our greatest strengths as an organization. I’ve learned that change is incremental, but even small changes can have a big impact.”
CSG Executive Director/CEO David Adkins
SPOTLIGHT ON
Renée Brackett
By Dr. Dion Clark
Meet the CSG Justice Center’s longest-serving employee, Renée Brackett. Brackett was then-Director Mike Thompson’s first hire into the criminal justice program when the CSG Justice Center was still part of CSG East back in 2001. Did she think she’d be here this long? No. “I didn’t even know what we did,” Brackett said. “I didn’t know what the job was about.” Now, no one knows more about the Justice Center and its history, legacy and impact. She remembers the novelty of the organization’s early days. “You have a meeting: you have a judge and a DA, a criminal defense attorney, a therapist — all these people in one room,” Brackett said. “Before the CSG Justice Center, you never had that.”
Brackett is not, by nature, the nostalgic type. She only agreed to an interview after several gentle-yet-persistent entreaties. But she confesses to being deeply proud of the organization’s work. She credits Thompson with securing early funding to stand up programs, hire staff, convene stakeholders and make an impact. She credits current Justice Center Director Megan Quattlebaum with taking a step back to assess the organization’s vision and goals, diversifying funding and focusing on equity, both in the work in the states and within our own four walls. And she says that Quattlebaum and the senior leadership team have been critical to pushing the organization forward. “A good leader needs to be surrounded by other good leaders,” Brackett said. A different person might spend their time mostly reminiscing — and Brackett does have countless engaging stories to tell, from how she was heading into CSG East at 5 World Trade Center on 9/11 to how she had to move our logistics online in response to a global pandemic — but she likes to focus more on how the Justice Center builds on its legacy. “It's amazing to look at the many people that came through the doors to make the success of the Justice Center possible,” she said. “It sounds corny, but it's not a me, it's a we.” After 21 years, Brackett is pretty cagey about when she might retire; but she’s clear about how she’s going to do it: “I’m going to pick up my bag, walk out the door, and say, ‘It’s been lovely.’”
