Field Experts
Nationwide
Lauren Jones, Communications, W. Haywood Burns Institute/CJNY
415-321-4100 x103, ljones@burnsinstitute.org
Malachi Larabee-Garza, Community Justice Network for Youth, Burns Institute
Phone: 415-321-4100 x110, mgarza@burnsinstitute.org
Tshaka Burrows, Burns Institute
Phone: 415-321-4100 x106, tbarrows@burnsinstitute.org
Mishi Faruqee, Director of Youth Justice Program, Children’s Defense Fund NY
212-697-2323, mfaruqee@cdfny.org
Mishi coordinates CDF-NY’s Cradle to Prison Pipeline Campaign as well as other work related to juvenile justice. Governor David Paterson recent appointed Mishi to serve on the New York State Task Force for Transforming Juvenile Justice, a group that will help direct the state’s juvenile justice reform efforts.
DeAvery Irons, Juvenile Justice Project, Correctional Association of New York
212-254-5700 x316, dirons@correctionalassociation.org
The Correctional Association of New York is an independent, non-profit organization founded by concerned citizens in 1844 and granted unique authority by the New York State Legislature to
inspect prisons and to report its findings and recommendations to the legislature, the public and the press.
Damekia Morgan, FFLIC, New Orleans Chapter Director
504-522-5437 x229, dmorgan@fflic.org
Damekia Morgan, Orleans Parish Director, joined the FFLIC staff in 2006. A New Orleans born
and raised native who believes in advocating and fighting for the well being of all children and families. Damekia worked with FFLIC’s ally Agenda for Children as a Training Manager, Parent Counselor, Program Director.
Xochitl Bervera, Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana
404-861-0756, xochitl@mayfirst.org
An activist and lawyer, Xochitl is a 2001 Soros Justice Fellow for her work with Grassroots
Leadership. A community organizer by trade, Xochitl previously worked with We Interrupt This
Message, where she was instrumental in laying the foundation for CMJ and wrote numerous articles on the criminalization of youth of color in the media.
Kate Kyung Ji Rhee, Director, Prison Moratorium Project
347-712-0259, krhee@mec.cuny.edu
Kate Kyung Ji Rhee is the director of the Prison Moratorium Project, a multi-racial group of
young activists, community members and formerly incarcerated people in New York City that
works locally and nationally to stop prison expansion and mass incarceration, and re-invest
resources into communities most impacted by criminal justice policies through educational
programs, alternatives-to-incarceration initiatives, housing and sustainable economic development.
Erika González, Co-Director, PODER (Austin)
512-472-9921, poder.tx@gmail.com
Erika González, Co-Director, is a native of Eagle Pass, Texas and the border of Piedras Negras, Coahuila Mexico. She now is a resident of Southeast Austin. Erika is responsible for coordinating all youth related activities and the supervision of all youth organizers. Erika also co-coordinates PODER’s Nahui Ollin Healthy Communities project and other projects around transportation and juvenile justice.
Mallory Kaczmarek, Reflect and Strengthen
617-442-2355, mallory@reflectandstrengthen.org
Reflect and Strengthen (R&S) is a grassroots collective of young working class women from the urban neighborhoods of Boston who take a holistic approach to organizing in order to create personal and social transformation. Our programming focuses are political education, healing from trauma, creative expression, community building, and campaign work to end racial disparities in the juvenile justice system.
Lisa Kung, H. Lee Sarokin Director, The Southern Center for Human Rights
404-688-1202, Lkung@SCHR.org
Lisa Kung joined SCHR in 1999 as a staff attorney, focusing on litigating prison and jail conditions in Georgia and Alabama. She was lead and co-counsel in a number of major cases, including class action litigation challenging extreme overcrowding and poor medical care in various jails; guard brutality at the Georgia prison incarcerating the state’s most seriously mentally ill men; the lack of indigent defense in Coweta County, Georgia; and on behalf of all women incarcerated in Alabama.
Monica Cordova, Director of Organizing, SWOP
505-247-8832, monica@swop.net
SWOP’s mission is to empower disenfranchised communities to realize racial and gender equality and social and economic justice.
David Marques, Technology Director, Southwest Youth Collaborative
773-476-3534 x231, dmarques@swyc.org
University of Hip Hop Southwest Youth Collaborative exists to unleash the potential of youth from diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds to become actively contributing members of society through initiatives that engage young people in working for a better world.
Tarsha Jackson, State Coordinator, Texas Families of Incarcerated Youth
281-832-4871, tarsha.jackson@tfiy.org
The Texas Families of Incarcerated Youth (TFIY) is a network comprised of family members of youth that are currently or formerly incarcerated in TYC. TFIY’s mission is to offer support and information to families, and advocate as a unified voice for systemic change for families of incarcerated youth.
Kim McGill, Youth Justice Coalition
323-23- 4243, freelanow@yahoo.com
Youth Justice Coalition represents thousands of youth in Los Angeles who have been under custody at juvenile hall, probation camp, county jail, CYA and/or state prison at one point in their lives. The Coalition supports policies that enhance the opportunities available to youth who have been in custody.
San Francisco, California
Misha Olivas, young mom and community leader
415.573.5138, misha@unitedplayaz.org
Siaira Harris, singer-songwriter and community leader
415.254.4576, sisisuperstar@msn.com
Tey, CJNY youth spokesperson
510.355.4262
Rene Quinonez, Director of HOMEY
415.873.4024, admin@homeysf.org
Alejandra Mojica, Youth Program Coordinator, HOMEY
415.861.1600, laxochicana@homeysf.org
MK Nguyen, Youth Making a Change (YMAC) member
415.239.0161, mknguyen@colemanadvocates.org
Eileen Li, Youth Making a Change (YMAC) member
415.418.8989, Eileen.li@yahoo.com
Victoria Kupu, organizer of Peace in the Streets rally
415.240.1867, victoria_kupu@yahoo.com
Chrissy Leauma, People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER)
415.623.6306, chrissy@peopleorganized.org
Deonna Frierson, member of San Francisco Youth Commission
415.240.3469, deonna_101@yahoo.com
Christian Castning, member of San Francisco Youth Commission
415.297.6931, christianemmanuc@aol.com
Ben Martinez, member of San Francisco Youth Commission
415.312.7876, tspsben@gmail.com
De'Anthony Jones, youth leader and Chair of SF Youth Commission
415.684.9749, deanthonyjones@gmail.com
Nicholas Quesada, youth leader and Vice-Chair of SF Youth Commission
415.533.0455, stylsh92@aol.com
Oakland, California
Kim Ota, organizer and community leader with Just Cause Oakland
510-763-5877 kim@justcauseoakland.org
South Bay Area
Cheriffe Harper, YUCA
650.322.9165, info@youthunited.net
Silicon Valley DeBug
(408) 971-4965, svdebug@newamericamedia.org
SoCal/LA
Lisa Adler, No On the Six Coalition
213-387-2800, info@thestrategycenter.org
Dolores Huerta Foundation
(661) 322-3033, ahuerta@doloreshuerta.org
