FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2021
Nation’s largest criminal justice reform advocacy organization elevates longtime leaders impacted by system’s failures to new key roles
OAKLAND, CA — Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ), a national organization focused on winning new safety priorities in the largest states across the country, today announced a new, expanded leadership team. The team is made up of leaders from within the organization, who have been promoted to help guide the organization into a new era of achieving further policy reforms and expanding its footprint in states and nationally.
“We are really excited about our expanded leadership team. In our fifth year of operation, the opportunities to achieve meaningful change are greater than ever, and this team will take our organization to new heights,” said ASJ President and co-founder Lenore Anderson. “We’ve built this organization to achieve policy change through smart advocacy, developing leaders, and bringing together everyday people who know the causes and effects of communities being left without safety all too well. Our expanded leadership team are expert organizers, advocates and leaders — with a tremendous track record in doing just that.”
ASJ’s new executive team includes leaders of—and from—the organization’s two pillar constituencies: survivors of crime from communities most harmed by violence but least helped by the justice system, as well as people living with old criminal records. The elevation and expansion of this new team of leaders coincides with ASJ’s efforts to deepen public safety reforms in states and advance federal support of those policies. The new leaders will also be pivotal in steering the organization’s strategic growth in key states across the country, further developing a pipeline of local and state leaders to secure criminal justice reforms and new safety solutions.
Key leadership changes include:
- Jay Jordan will assume the roles of ASJ’s Vice President and #TimeDone National Director. Jordan co-founded the organization’s #TimeDone campaign to organize people living with past conviction records to eliminate the barriers to opportunity that block them from success. He previously served as executive director of ASJ’s flagship state-based program, Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ). In his new role, he will oversee all of ASJ’s state-based teams and reform advocacy efforts.
- Aswad Thomas will lead ASJ’s organizing efforts as the Chief of Organizing and Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ) National Director. Thomas, who helped build and expand the organization’s CSSJ national network of crime victims to over 42,000 members, will oversee ASJ’s Organizing and Partnerships division.
- Shakyra Diaz has transitioned to Chief of Staff for the organization, from her prior role as Managing Director of Partnerships. She will remain as ASJ’s Ohio State Director on an interim basis.
- Tinisch Hollins will take on the role of Executive Director of Californians for Safety and Justice, ASJ’s flagship state-based program in California. Hollins is being promoted from her position as CSJ Associate Director and CSSJ California State Director, and will replace Jordan at the helm of CSJ.
- Shaena Fazal will become Managing Director of Advocacy, overseeing ASJ’s Advocacy Division made up of its policy, innovations, and research departments. Fazal was previously the Director of Legislative Advocacy.
Anderson will remain the organization’s President and assume the role of Chief Executive, as co-founder and former Chief Executive Robert Rooks moves to a role on the Board as President Emeritus. Andrea Broxton will maintain her position as ASJ’s Chief of Operations and Mandela Jones will continue to serve as Chief of Communications.
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Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ) is a national organization that aims to win new safety priorities in states by replacing over-incarceration with effective public safety solutions rooted in prevention, community health, rehabilitation and support for crime victims—shared safety. ASJ partners with state leaders to achieve safety and justice reforms through advocacy, coalition building, education, organizing, research and communications. We bring together everyday people, especially diverse crime survivors and people living with past convictions, as key public safety stakeholders to advance policies that stop cycles of crime, eliminate wasteful prison spending and invest in solutions that make communities safer.
