Colleen joined Newark Community Solutions, the Center’s community justice initiative in New Jersey, as the Clinical Coordinator in 2014. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Director of New Jersey Programs at the Center for Justice Innovation, she now oversees Newark Community Solutions and supports the Center’s work throughout the state of New Jersey. Colleen possesses over a decade of experience working with people involved in the legal system in both community and custodial settings. In addition to her work at the Center, Colleen works in higher education and is an alumnus of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Clinical Scholars program, a national leadership program that helps interdisciplinary teams of clinicians build a culture of health in their communities.
Colleen holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree from McGill University.
“Hiding in Plain Sight”: The Untapped Power of Public Defense
Sixty years after Gideon v. Wainwright, in which the Supreme Court ruled that anyone facing the threat of incarceration is entitled to a lawyer regardless of their ability to pay, the right to counsel remains an unfulfilled promise for many. What would change if everyone, no matter their income, got the minimum that all people deserve: someone with the time, resources, and training to defend them effectively in court?
The Human Cost: Five Podcast Episodes on Rikers Island
With the launch of the Lippman Commission 2.0, New York City has taken a decisive step towards closing Rikers Island. Much is at stake, first and foremost the lives of the people detained in the jail complex. In these five episodes of our New Thinking podcast, we take a closer look at the human cost of Rikers through the testimony of advocates, researchers, and—most importantly—those who have experienced the harms of Rikers Island firsthand.
A source of beauty and hope and an instrument of change, art holds a mirror up to our society, casting light on injustice while bringing a better world into view. Take a look at some artwork and murals that our teams have recently brought to life to build community, encourage healing, and make justice a reality.
