Intensive Session: It’s All Connected: Advancing Behavior Change by Blending Community Supervision Tools Introduced Through JRI

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Valerie Meade has worked in adjust and youth justice for over 20 years, with expertise in the areas of cognitive behavioral interventions, case management, model fidelity, and continuous quality improvement, and extensive experience with adult and juvenile populations on community supervision, in correctional facilities, and in substance abuse treatment. In her current role, Valerie assists states throughout the country with implementation and sustainability of Justice Reinvestment policies. Valerie is committed to improving the quality of criminal justice programs and interventions through collaboration and implementation of sustainable research-based strategies that lead to improved public safety. Valerie graduated from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminal Justice.

Abigail Strait joined CJI in August of 2015 and in that time has focused on policy implementation. Abby currently manages a team implementing policy changes made to the adult justice system through the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI), including leading JRI implementation work across several sites. Abby is driven by the impact a focus on evidence-based practices and the inclusion of multiple voices can have on how policies are rolled out. Abby holds a Bachelor’s degree from Hamline University in Minnesota and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

Heather Tubman-Carbone, Ph.D., is a criminologist who specializes in translating research and policy into practice. As Senior Policy Advisor for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Dr. Tubman-Carbone oversees its justice reform efforts, including the Justice Reinvestment Initiative and Justice Counts, which take data-driven approaches to create more fair, effective, and efficient state justice systems. In addition, she manages Second Chance Act programs to build corrections and community supervision agencies’ capacity to reduce recidivism and support desistance .Prior to joining BJA, Dr. Tubman-Carbone managed a corrections portfolio at the Council of State Governments Justice Center where she oversaw technical assistance provided to state and local corrections agencies to design and implement concrete, research-based strategies to reduce recidivism. She also worked on projects to measure the impact of those initiatives and to disseminate the strategies to practitioners and policymakers in the field. Earlier in her career, Dr. Tubman-Carbone worked at Westat and the Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay College. Dr. Tubman-Carbone earned her BA from Northeastern University, her Master’s from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice.