Meet The
Our Team
Angel Alejandro
Senior Development Manager, Grants
Angel AlejandroSenior Development Manager, Grants
Angel Alejandro joined the CFSY in February of 2020 and serves as Senior Development Manager for Grants on the Development team. In this role, Angel works closely with the Development team to help educate diverse stakeholders on issues related to extreme sentencing.Angel was incarcerated at the age of 18 for a crime he committed when he was 15, and he was not released from prison until the age of 39. He spent his time incarcerated educating himself and came home with two degrees and several certifications, including one in Business Entrepreneurship. During his studies, Angel served as a tutor for other students as well as a facilitator in the mentoring programs "Alternative to Violence (AVP)" and "Victim Impact" to help people who have committed harm understand how their choices affect others. He is also a member of the Incarcerated Children's Advocacy Network (ICAN), an initiative of the CFSY which amplifies the voices and leadership of formerly incarcerated youth.
Outside of work, Angel relishes his role as an uncle to his ever-expanding family and rediscovering his hometown of NYC. He also loves to work on strategy as an avid chess player.
Eric Alexander
Senior Advocate
Eric AlexanderSenior Advocate
Eric joined the CFSY team in 2017. He speaks to groups throughout the country in support of our public education and advocacy efforts. He is also a founding member of ICAN (Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network) and works with formerly incarcerated youth to help engage them deeply and strategically in the movement for the fair sentencing and treatment of all children.At 17 years of age, Eric was arrested and subsequently charged with especially aggravated robbery and first-degree murder. Aware that the court was seeking a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, he pled guilty in order to receive two 25 year sentences (with a chance for parole) to be served concurrently in the Tennessee Department of Corrections. He was later paroled in 2004.
After his release, he began to volunteer in Alternative Schools for students with behavioral issues. He joined AmeriCorps Community Health Corps and assisted in establishing full-service medical clinics inside of local high-schools that provided health care to poor and underserved students and families. Eric became an independent vendor for the public school system. He facilitated trainings for school staff and campus security that offered strategies in identifying gang members and providing intervention for them and their families. He partnered with the Juvenile Detention Center and local organizations to provide services for students with trauma-related issues. The goal of this coalition of providers was to keep youth out of the juvenile justice system. As a Program Director for the YMCA of Middle TN, Eric operated a 3-point program that addressed the socio-emotional development in students with behavioral and academic performance issues.
In his downtime, Eric enjoys spending time with family and cycling. He finds time for a ‘flea market flip’ every now and then.
Tamala Allen
Program & Research Associate
Tamala AllenProgram & Research Associate
Tamala joined the CFSY in March 2020. Prior to joining the CFSY, Tamala was a manager for a large corporation in the Chicago area. She also volunteered for Restore Justice, where she helped organize advocacy training sessions and assisted in lobbying efforts to build awareness of extreme sentencing options in Illinois. In addition, Tamala volunteered with the Illinois Prison Project, where she helped incarcerated people experiencing mental health challenges and incarcerated veterans who had served over twenty years in prison.Tamala is married to a formerly incarcerated youth, a union she credits with sparking much of her involvement in criminal legal reform advocacy efforts. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, riding bikes, gardening, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends.
Crystal Carpenter
Chief Program & Strategy Officer
Crystal CarpenterChief Program & Strategy Officer
Crystal Carpenter joined the CFSY in April 2019. She bridges the work of several departments working to understand the experiences of individuals post-release, while developing a range of supports and resources to help them thrive. Crystal brings to this role a passion for criminal justice reform that she unearthed more than twenty years ago.In this role, Crystal works with directly impacted individuals, their families, and communities to ensure multi-directional sharing of data, information, and experiences. Her proximity to the issue provides a unique perspective as she works to educate and train diverse stakeholders on issues related to the harsh realities faced by formerly incarcerated individuals and families. When not at work, Crystal enjoys reading, and watching movies with her family, and cheering her hometown Washington Redskins or UNC Tarheels (alma mater) on!
Alicia Contreras
Donor Engagement & Communications Associate
Alicia ContrerasDonor Engagement & Communications Associate
Alicia Contreras graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in Legal Studies in May of 2021 and joined the CFSY in August 2021. As an undergraduate, she received an opportunity to intern for Speaker Pelosi in her San Francisco office, where she worked with Speaker Pelosi's staff on constituent casework involving Section 8 housing and immigration services. Alicia also served as an Alternative Breaks leader, a program where students spend their spring break volunteering and servicing historically underserved communities throughout California.At the beginning of 2020, she participated in the University of California Washington Center (UCDC) program, and was a legislative intern for Senator Sanders on Capitol Hill, and spent time on legislative research projects regarding the Senator's proposed Medicare for All legislation. In her senior year, she worked on a semester-long research project on the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, examining the Center's work in restorative justice alternatives and the impact it has had on the Oakland community. Alicia's late father's history of incarceration meant witnessing firsthand the challenges that formerly incarcerated folks face when reentering into society and the long-lasting impacts of the carceral system on them and their families. His subsequent career as a drug and alcohol counselor and passion for community activism inspire her work to this day.
Outside of work, Alicia can be found exploring D.C. on electric scooters and thrift shopping.
Donnell Drinks
Leadership Development & Engagement Coordinator
Donnell DrinksLeadership Development & Engagement Coordinator
Donnell Drinks joined the CFSY in March 2021 and serves as the Leadership Development & Engagement Coordinator.Donnell was arrested at the age of 17 and was subsequently sentenced to the death penalty, which was later reduced to a life sentence. He served over 27 years and was released in July 2018. During his incarceration, he spent his time educating himself by obtaining his GED, accumulating multiple college credits, becoming a Certified Peer Specialist, and obtaining his certification in Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD). He was extensively involved in charitable work through various inmate organizations and served as President of multiple organizations. The organizations included Lifers Inc., the NAACP, the Latin American Cultural Exchange Organization (LACEO), and Journey for Change, which have all afforded him diverse experiences and skills. Since his release, he has employed these skills in his Philadelphia community as a mentor and re-entry specialist for Gaining Respect Over Our Worst Nights (GROWN) and as an anti-violence advocate. Donnell is a member of the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN) an initiative of the CFSY which amplifies the voices and leadership of formerly incarcerated youth.
Outside of work, Donnell enjoys creative writing, sketching, and photography.
Eddie Ellis
Co-Director of Outreach & Member Services
Eddie EllisCo-Director of Outreach & Member Services
Eddie Ellis joined the CFSY team in early 2018. He works with ICAN members across the country, connecting them to each other and with local resources. He also works with other directly impacted communities, including the family members of juvenile lifers.Eddie, a native Washingtonian, was arrested and charged with murder at the age of 16 -- he was later found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 22 years in prison. He served 15 years and finished the rest of his time on parole.
Eddie came home in 2006 and since that time he has worked on a variety of issues, including reentry, solitary confinement, and on behalf of people with disabilities who are in the system and coming home. He has served on the board of directors of a national legal organization, and helped with client center training for lawyers, probation officers and social workers. He is an advocate for those in the system, a mentor, and a motivational speaker. His lived experience as a formerly incarcerated person provides invaluable insight and depth into his work that allows him to connect with and engage the community he serves.
Karmah Elmusa
Chief of Staff & External Affairs
Karmah ElmusaChief of Staff & External Affairs
Karmah sits on the CFSY's Executive Leadership Team as Chief of Staff & External Affairs. In her role, she offers internal management support and oversees staff learning & development, and guides the organization's external affairs and communications work. She joined the CFSY team in April 2017 as Communications Director and held that position for over five years.Karmah is a native of Washington, DC and earlier in her career worked as a journalist at The NewsHour on PBS, The Washington Post Express, Mother Jones, and California Lawyer Magazine. Immediately prior to joining the CFSY she was a Communications Manager at the Institute for Middle East Understanding, where she advocated for increased coverage of Palestinian human rights in American media.
Karmah holds a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University and a Master's degree from UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism. She relishes time with family and friends, and loves to read fiction, run to good music, and cook.
Matthew Gritzmacher
Finance & Compliance Director
Matthew GritzmacherFinance & Compliance Director
Matt Gritzmacher (he/him) has been with the CFSY since 2015 and currently serves as Finance & Compliance Director.Matt’s behind-the-scenes role helps keep the organization running smoothly, from payroll and budget development to benefits administration, tracking relevant labor laws for our growing team, and working on operational and logistics challenges when they crop up.
Outside of his home office in North Carolina, Matt is a voracious crossword solver and spends much of his free time walking, biking, cooking, and doting on his pets; cats Zelda and Angus and dogs Franklin and Remy. He sings in the choir at church and is always happy to evangelize his hometown of Buffalo, including as an avid fan of the University at Buffalo Bulls sports teams.
Adam Hollies
Movement Building Program Associate
Adam HolliesMovement Building Program Associate
Adam Hollies (he/him) joined the CFSY in June 2022 as the Movement Building Program Associate. In spring 2021, he interned with the CFSY and jumped at the opportunity to return to the organization.Throughout his time at the University of Rochester, Adam took several deeply impactful classes on criminal justice, abolition, and political organizing. Wanting to apply this learning into supporting substantive change, Adam volunteered with the Rochester Education Justice Initiative (REJI) and Turning Points Resource Center. With these organizations, he supported incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones and fought for criminal justice reform in New York State. Returning to DC to work at the CFSY, Adam intends to continue these efforts towards justice and champion transformative and healing practices for children.
Outside of work, Adam enjoys reading, playing music, commiserating about DC sports, and listening to his records.
Catherine Jones
Co-Director of Outreach & Partnership Development
Catherine JonesCo-Director of Outreach & Partnership Development
Catherine Jones joined the CFSY team in January 2020 and serves as the Co-Director of Outreach & Partnership Development. In this role, she holds leadership positions in both the Movement Building and Strategic Partnerships departments, responsible for helping bridge these areas of work. Catherine develops and implements a range of projects and initiatives, aimed at ensuring those returning from prison, particularly members of the Incarcerated Children's Advocacy Network (ICAN), have meaningful opportunities to prosper and thrive. This includes fair chance hiring, systems change, and collecting and distributing concrete resources to CFSY’s network of directly impacted and formerly incarcerated individuals. Catherine also conceived of and oversees “Heart to Heart,” a program and support group for female-identified ICAN members to create and experience mentorship, crisis response, and peer support.Catherine is a seasoned and sought out public speaker and content expert on criminal justice reform. She presents nationally to diverse audiences, and her story and expertise has been highlighted in numerous articles, podcasts and documentaries.
Catherine herself is a formerly incarcerated youth and proud ICAN member. Incarcerated at the age of 13 for murder, she was released in 2015 at the age of 30. Her experiences as a child within the penal system sparked her passion to be a voice for those she left behind and for the ones who will come after her.
When not wearing her advocacy cape, Catherine relishes her role as Mommy to her two beautiful children.
Adam Kemerer
Associate Director of Communications
Adam KemererAssociate Director of Communications
Adam joined the CFSY in March 2019. As a member of the Communications team, Adam works to amplify the messages of formerly incarcerated people and promote advocacy efforts reforming youth sentencing practices nationwide through both traditional and social media.As an undergraduate at Brown University, Adam studied criminal justice policy and volunteered at the Rhode Island Public Defender, OpenDoors Rhode Island, and the ACLU. After leading a campaign to address police misconduct in Providence, Adam moved to Washington, DC in 2015 where he worked to reform law enforcement practices across the country at the Police Executive Research Forum.
In his spare time, Adam enjoys running, board games, and traveling.
Jody Kent Lavy
Co-Executive Director
Jody Kent LavyCo-Executive Director
Jody Kent Lavy is co-executive director of the CFSY, and was the first staff person hired upon the organization’s founding in 2009.Jody’s interest in social justice policy began during her undergraduate years at Boston College, when volunteer work and a semester in South Africa deepened her awareness of the ways in which race and class determine economic, social, and educational opportunity. She then spent a service year in Los Angeles through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps working with low-income and homeless men and women, and volunteered in a juvenile hall on the weekends. Getting to know the children facing decades in adult prison at the juvenile hall, and coming to understand the systemic issues facing them and the low-income individuals with whom she worked, affirmed that she would pursue a career in advocacy.
When her service year was over, Jody went on to work for the ACLU of Southern California; while there, she spent three years monitoring conditions of confinement in the LA County jails. She then moved on to the National Prison Project of the ACLU in Washington, DC, as the public policy coordinator, until she was tapped to head the CFSY.
Under Jody’s leadership, the CFSY has staff has grown significantly, and it serves as a national leader and convener and provides strategic guidance on communications, litigation, and advocacy to attorneys, advocates, and others working at the state and federal levels. Jody has also ensured that people directly impacted by this issue are increasingly at the helm of the movement.
Jody is married, and is the mother of three children. She is also an avid sports fans – in particular, she suggests you don’t mess with the UNC Tarheels and any and all of the teams from her native New England.
Callie King-Guffey
Digital Communications & Advocacy Manager
Callie King-GuffeyDigital Communications & Advocacy Manager
Callie joined the CFSY team in January 2023. She seeks narrative and political change for and with children who experience systems of excessive punishment.Before joining CFSY, Callie worked at the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for over six years, where she enjoyed managing various advocacy initiatives that brought millions of children’s voices into decision-making processes and helped establish new norms around child and youth participation. She has also worked on ending the school-to-prison pipeline in California, implementing alternatives to incarceration in Oregon, improving reentry in New York, and advancing sentencing reform in Louisiana.
In 2022, Callie received her Master’s in Public Policy at Harvard. There, she collaborated with the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth on her capstone with Human Rights Watch which measured how US states fail to meet global standards for children and their rights, including the internationally adopted standard that no child should be sentenced to life without parole.
You can find Callie with a heavily caffeinated beverage at all hours of the day. To unwind and decaffeinate, Callie enjoys fresh air.
Abd'Allah Lateef
Co-Deputy Director
Abd'Allah LateefCo-Deputy Director
Abd’Allah Wali Lateef is a Co-Deputy Director with the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth.In spite of being condemned to life without possibility of parole at 17-years-old—and without hope or expectation of ever being released from prison— Abd’Allah devoted himself to personal and collective transformation. Abd’Allah served as a mentor, religious advisor, faith leader, and reform advocate. He also studied legal jurisprudence and worked as a paralegal at Paraprofessional Law Clinic, Inc.
Since his release, Abd’Allah has continued his advocacy efforts. Today, along with serving as Co-Deputy Director for the CFSY, Abd’Allah is also an member of the Philadelphia Reentry Coalition, a member of the University of Pennsylvania Goldring Reentry Initiatives advisory board, a board member at the Center for Employment Opportunities, a board member at New Leash on Life, and lead fellow for the Media Justice Fellowship sponsored by Lenfest Institute for Journalism and the Philadelphia Reentry Think Tank.
Some of Abd’Allah’s work is reflected in the following links:
None of Us Are Free, Until All of Us Are Free
The Appeal: Justice in America Episode 13: Juvenile Justice
Colorlines: Former Juvenile Lifers Need a Pressure Valve
Video: Abd'Allah Lateef in Conversation with Clint Smith
Video: Abd'Allah Lateef talks Ubuntu Philadelphia and Healing
JLC: Thoughts From a Formerly Condemned Man-Child: Reflections on Miller and Montgomery Rulings
WITF: After 49 years behind bars, juvenile lifer found society wasn’t prepared for his release
MDSJ: University of Scranton Hosts Retreat for Formerly Incarcerated Children
La Salle: La Salle Welcomes Two Presenters Who Spoke from Experience about the Juvenile Justice System and Reform
Xavier McElrath-Bey
Co-Executive Director
Xavier McElrath-BeyCo-Executive Director
Xavier McElrath-Bey serves as Co-Executive Director of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) and is a co-founder of the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN).During his many years at the CFSY, Xavier has fought to abolish life without parole for children in America, and has played a role in ending this practice in several states including Nevada, Utah, Arkansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota.
At age 13, after accumulating 19 arrests and seven convictions, Xavier was arrested, charged with a gang-related murder, and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
While growing up in prison, Xavier became increasingly remorseful for his past actions and decided to change for the better. Hopeful of someday living a “normal life,” Xavier prepared himself by earning an Associate’s degree in Arts and an Associate’s in General Education from Carl Sandburg College, a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Roosevelt University, and a certificate in Computer Technology. Xavier was also inducted into the Franklin Honor Society for outstanding scholarship.
In 2002, Xavier was released at age 26 after serving 13 years.
While volunteering as a YMCA youth boxing coach, Xavier landed his first job as a Starbucks barista and decided to pursue a Master’s degree from Roosevelt University’s Counseling and Human Services Program. He graduated with honors in 2006, and since then, he has worked in various fields including violence prevention, youth counseling, clinical research, youth advocacy, and sentencing reform. Prior to his current employment at the CFSY, Xavier worked for Northwestern University’s Health Disparities & Public Policy program, where he conducted over 800 clinical research interviews with formerly incarcerated youth.
Today, Xavier is an ambassador for Represent Justice and is a MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC) Advisory Council Member. Previously, Xavier served as a board member at the Community Justice for Youth Institute and as a member of the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force’s working group on Community and Police Relations.
Xavier is a prolific speaker who has inspired countless audiences to become reform-minded advocates for the most vulnerable children in our society. Many media and news outlets, including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, PBS NewsHour, Steve Wilkos Show, the Marshall Project, and Huffington Post have captured Xavier’s efforts, and his story has also been featured in many literary works, including Howard Schultz’s From the Ground Up and Gordon McLean’s Too Young to Die.
More recently, Xavier received the 2018 Justice Roundtable Excellence Award, the 2019 JustLeadershipUSA Leading with Conviction Award, and Bright Promises Foundation's 2021 Champion for Children Award.
In his powerful TEDx Talk titled “No Child is Born Bad,” Xavier reminds all of us that no child should ever receive a “death in prison” sentence and that all children, including those who have made horrible mistakes, have the capacity for positive change.
Christina Oliver
Senior Development Manager, Major Gifts
Christina OliverSenior Development Manager, Major Gifts
Christina joined the CFSY team in April 2020 and currently serves as Senior Development Manager, Major Gifts. In her role, Christina stewards relationships with CFSY’s donor base and works in close collaboration with the CFSY team to engage our community through events.During her time as a student at Duke University, Christina studied Public Policy, where she focused her studies on criminal legal reform and education. After graduation, she moved to DC and began working in education at EAB, where she cultivated partnerships with regional colleges to promote student success. She’s thrilled to now be a part of the CFSY team, addressing the urgent justice issues that sparked her passion for public policy years ago.
Outside of the office, Christina spends her time reading novels, exploring DC, and spending time with her family in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Heather Renwick
Co-Deputy Director
Heather RenwickCo-Deputy Director
Heather Renwick joined the CFSY team in 2014. She currently serves as co-deputy director alongside Abd'Allah Lateef, leading the organization's initiatives around people, culture, and strategy. Heather previously served as CFSY legal director, overseeing the CFSY's litigation, parole, and legislative advocacy.Heather graduated from Northwestern School of Law, and worked as a clinical fellow at Northwestern's Children and Family Justice Center after graduation, coordinating a study on juvenile parole in Illinois. Following her clinical fellowship, Heather worked as an attorney at WilmerHale in Washington D.C. with a practice focused on investigations and criminal litigation.
Heather also received a Fulbright Fellowship to research issues of trafficking in Bulgaria, worked in Washington, DC and Nairobi, Kenya on issues of pre-trial detention and violence against minors, and has taught trial advocacy in Ukraine.
Heather lives in New Haven, CT with her wife and two children.
Preston Shipp
Senior Policy Counsel
Preston ShippSenior Policy Counsel
Preston Shipp joined the CFSY in May 2019 and serves as Senior Policy Counsel. In this role, Preston provide strategic guidance, support, and leadership to states that are working to eliminate life without parole and other extreme sentences for children. He works directly with state-level advocates and legislators.For several years, Preston served as an appellate prosecutor in the Tennessee Attorney General’s office. While serving as a volunteer and teaching college classes in Tennessee prisons, he became good friends with many people who were incarcerated, one of whom he had actually prosecuted. These relationships caused Preston to wake up to the many injustices that are present in the American system of mass incarceration. Unable to reconcile this conflict, Preston left his career as a prosecutor in 2008. Since then, he has taught in universities and churches, lectured at conferences, and written about the urgent needs for criminal justice reform, a shift in how we regard imprisoned people, and a new vision of justice that seeks healing, transformation, and reconciliation. Preston lives in Nashville with his wife Sherisse and their three children, Lila Joy, Ruby Faith, and Levi.
Jackie Suazo
Finance & Operations Associate
Jackie SuazoFinance & Operations Associate
Jackie Suazo joined the CFSY team in August 2021. She came to us with a passion for social justice and a career interest in nonprofit management. She supports all staff through operations and finance administration.From a young age, Jackie knew she wanted to help change the world in a positive way. She paid close attention to historical and current acts of oppression and focused her college research projects on inequity in the US (such as the war on drugs, personnel practices, and education). She knew that she wanted to dedicate her career to create equity in public health, immigration, education, or the criminal justice system.
Jackie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Relying on her experience as a Human Resources Assistant at a major Miami art museum, she works to contribute to an inclusive and equitable work culture where members feel supported to serve the organization’s mission and their personal goals.
In her down time, Jackie loves relaxing on the beach, doing at least 10 minutes of yoga everyday, and going out to eat with family and friends.
Rebecca Turner
Senior Litigation Counsel
Rebecca TurnerSenior Litigation Counsel
Rebecca Turner joined the CFSY team in July 2016. Rebecca tracks the results of resentencings taking place around the country as a result of the Supreme Court decision in Montgomery v. Louisiana. She also coordinates pro bono representation and serves as a resource for attorneys litigating Miller and Montgomery issues.Studying social sciences as an undergrad, Rebecca focused on structural inequality and its causes and manifestations. Wanting to continue that work as applied to the criminal justice system, she went to law school, where she spent her summers working with organizations that represent death row clients.
After law school, Rebecca worked at the Prisoners’ Project of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, where she advocated for the humane treatment of prisoners in federal and state prisons. In this role, she worked on litigation and advocacy to ensure proper access to medical and mental health care, establish policies that are Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, and improve conditions of confinement. She later worked at the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, where she worked to implement Prison Rape Elimination Act policies and coordinate rape crisis center services for Maryland prisoners.
Outside of the office, Rebecca spends much of her free time with her nose in a book. She also enjoys trying out new recipes and taking naps.
Board of Directors
Shakur Abdullah
Joy Alferness
Marshan Allen
Ralph Brazel, Jr.
George Clarke
Anita Colón (Vice Chair)
Bernardine Dohrn
Bessie Hatchett Nazeem
Lucy Helm
Damon Hewitt
Christopher Hill
Deborah LaBelle
Bart Lubow
Rashida MacMurray-Abdullah
Shema Mbyirukira
Alison Parker
Joshua Toll (Board Chair)
Angela Vigil (Counsel to the board, non-voting)
Linda White
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