17Mar, 2024
2023 Year-End Report – National Incarceration Association
We made massive progress in 2023 toward our goals! Check out our 2023 year-end report to see what we've done and where we are headed!
About Us
The National Incarceration Association (NIA) was born from the personal story of its president and chief executive officer, Kate Boccia and her husband Frank. Their son Daniel spent years incarcerated in a medium security prison in Georgia. Daniel fell into an all-too-common spiral of drug addiction despite the best imaginable parenting efforts and an otherwise stable upper middle-class suburban Atlanta environment. Kate openly reflects on that moment of the night they first received “the call” alarming them that their child had been arrested. Her “journey” was suddenly the same as a growing quiet number of tens of millions of American families.
FAMILIES CHANGE
the moment they receive THE CALL...
↓
MONTHS PASS
and the family realizes that the shock and trauma of incarceration has to be managedbecause new questions now define their days.
↓
YEARS PASS
and the family now realizes that he might be coming home soon. Tears. Reflection. Preparation.Of course you’re happy. But your worries continue anew.
The NIA exists to make INCACERATION = RESTORATION for all.
The family story of mass incarceration is in the center of every page of our American story. It is the story of endless journeys through failed policies and outdated norms. It’s the story of unsettled work that we have capacity to fulfill.
OUR WORK
Public Awareness and Informed Empathy Campaigns
More than one-third of all American families are directly impacted by the continual consequences of having been incarcerated. Although unknowingly in most cases, the other two-thirds are at least indirectly impacted as taxpayers, business owners and neighbors. Effectively spreading this message is critical in narrowing public opinion gaps. It gives employers and policy makers permission to be more assertive with smarter ideas.
Partner Asset Integration Projects and Initiatives
When the NIA launches or gets involved with any project or initiative, our aim is to demonstrate how partners can work together more effectively and in ways that advance common interests and yield measured results.
The NIA formula coaches a disruption of this pattern
NIA coaches this kind of cohesive formula
Direct Constituent Services and Support Program
In the absence of systematic and comprehensive reforms to rehabilitate how offenders think and behave, this program is designed to intervene at the point of inmate and/or family outreach with a specific concern or problem. Each point of such sought-out intervention creates for the NIA a new Constituent Case File and an opportunity to help manage repair and personal development as well as facilitate resolutions.
OTHER AREAS OF INTEREST
- Neighborhood-Based Pre-Arrest Diversion strategies and coordinated initiatives
- Assessment at Hearing and Sentencing for comprehensive case-managed rehabilitation
- Bail Bonding Reform to eliminate disproportionate impacts and erosion of presumption of innocence
- Automatic Record Restriction and Arrest Record Expungement when deemed safe and appropriate
- Corrections Facility Reform and rethinking current relationships with Private Prison Contractors
- Strong review of the need for Mandatory Minimums in that such undermines problem resolution
- Community-Centered Family Restorative Justice Centers with practical wrap-around services
- Reasonable Housing for All and Neighborhood Assimilation where screened to be appropriate
- Elimination of Voter Disenfranchisement in that such has no correlation to public safety
- Decriminalizing Mental Illness and Adjudicating Drug Addiction Behavior as Symptoms of Disease
MISSION & VISION
To help families navigate the journey of incarceration with positive outcomes, and to push innovations throughout justice systems to correct, rehabilitate, cure and restore, for greater public safety for all. Our vision is that the justice and corrections system of the United States becomes a system of dignity, safety, and progressive personal improvement for all involved.
GOAL 1
End the absurd economic and social cost of mass incarceration as we know it from the perspective of families and community.
GOAL 2
Build models of resolution and rehabilitation to change mindsets and behavior for the better public interest and safety.
GOAL 3
Help integrate the actions and assets of stakeholders in the pursuit of evidenced-based solutions to reach visible results.
DRIVEN BY CORE VALUES
EMPATHY
The demonstration of respect and caring about the plight and circumstance of those whose lives and personal stories are different from others.
DILIGENCE
The focused pursuit of right, fairness, justice and innovation, without tiring, slowing down or conceding to difficulty.
RESPONSIBILITY
The demonstration of steadfast loyalty to the NIA mission and the commitment to be transparent, accountable, ethical and professional in doing this work to change lives.
PASSIONATE LEADERSHIP
Kate Boccia
Chief Executive OfficerShe developed the first Citizens Advisory Panel for Georgia Department of Corrections which set the tone for her work in launching the NIA. Never settling for a passive answer to a challenging question she continues to push innovations in systems that impact families. LEARN MORE
Roland Washington
Chief Operating OfficerHe’s a public policy consultant and social innovator with more than 32 years of experience in building operational and management systems, and leading community interests in a number of social impact campaigns and initiatives.
STAFF
70% of NIA Staff, Board of Directors, and Advisory Council have lived the experience of being incarcerated or shared that experience with an immediate family member. More than 90% of us have devoted most of our working years to justice and social reform.
Diana Ashworth
CPR Lead Intake Coordinator
Linda Beaulieu
Special Projects Manager
Michelle Boatright, CS-MH, CS-AD, CPS-WH, FPM, CAMS, CARES
Case Management Coordinator
Rev. Dr. Willie Alfreida Capers, MPA, MDIV, DMIN
Case Management Coordinator
Randy Carpenter
Chief Data & Technology Officer
Andrew Curtin
Marketing Director
Karen Daniel, BEd; MEd; CARES-AD
Case Management Coordinator
Dr. Kelly C. Dreger
Executive Actions Coordinator
Tara Eslick
CPR Intake Coordinator
Terence Franklin
Case Management Coordinator
Stacy Hurd
CPR Intake Coordinator
Veronica Kulon
Resource Development Assistant
Jessie Mabrey, CPS-MH,FPM,CPS-AD
Program Development Manager
Chris O'Neill
Special Projects Manager
Leesha Reineke
CPR Intake Coordinator
Brittany Samuels
Re-Entry Administrative Assistant
Henry Schultz
Associate Editor
Linda Tettamant
Chief Communications Officer
Kevin Weeks
Case Management Coordinator
Markieta Williams
Chief People Officer
Pastor Roy Williams, BS, M.DIV, CCJS, NAFC
Case Management Coordinator
Claudia Zimmermann
Chief Resource OfficerBOARD OF DIRECTORS
Burrell Ellis, Esq.
Board of DirectorsAttorney and Systems Reform Activist. Former twice-elected CEO of one of the largest counties in the state of Georgia. Former President of County Executives of America, Southeast Region Director, of the National Association of Counties (NACo) and Chair of NACo‘s Large Urban County Caucus
Rev. Ewell Hardman, M.Div.
Board of DirectorsMore than 30 years of service as a spiritual teacher and healer. A Certified Master Addiction Counselor with Arise Recovery and Behavioral Health Center in Georgia. Former Clinical Supervisor and Director with The Summit Counseling Center and MARR Addiction Treatment Centers.
LeAnne Jackson, J.D.
Board of DirectorsA trust and assets management expert, proficient in insurance and multibillion dollar investment strategies, as well as code compliance, settlement negotiations and resource connectivity.
Karen James
Board of DirectorsPolicy reform advocate with more than 33 years of federal government administration and human resources experience. An EEOC specialist that co-manages public affairs for the NIA.
Monikah Kelly
TreasurerTreasurer & CFO, and a partner with DV Marshall & Associates, LLC., with more than 20 years of tax accounting and paralegal experience
Tiffany Kirk
SecretaryCommunity Development Manager for Pinnacle Financial Partners, project manager, investment and financial equity expert, and former early childhood educator. Founder and Executive Director of Project Restart; focused on stable reentry and recidivism reduction.
Janis Mann, Esq.
Board of DirectorsAttorney at Law; founder of the Mann Law Group, former Georgia Public Defender, National and Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Member
Sona Nast, LCSW, LSOTP
Board of DirectorsSocial Worker, Family Sustainability Activist and Specialized Treatment Professional for the incarcerated
Truth Graf
Ex-OfficioSecretary & Director of Public Relations, and an activist and advocate for social justice with more than 30 years of radio, television, film and print media.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Amanda Cryer
Advisory CouncilA social impact entrepreneur and acclaimed filmmaker focused on transforming criminal justice stereotypes and illuminating the tragic reality of the prison industrial complex. Amanda is the co-founder of Big Change Makers, LLC
Kit Cummings
Advisory CouncilActivist, Conflict Mediator, Author, Founder &President of the Power of Peace Project (“POPP”)
Billy Joe Holmes
Advisory Council“Big Billy” as he is widely known, is a business owner and frequently requested speaker to audiences across several states against systems that fail to correct and rehabilitate.
Susan Jacobs-Meadows
Advisory CouncilDirector, Canine Cell Mates; Fulton County’s Jail Dogs Program
Monalisa Johnson
Advisory CouncilReform Advocate and Founder of Parents with Incarcerated Children, Inc., owner of Sierra Productions, an audio/video & production logistics company, featured star of the A&E Production “60 Days In”
Sarah Lageson, Ph.D.
Advisory CouncilSociologist and Assistant Professor; Rutgers University-Newark School of Criminal Justice. Published researcher and grants recipient examining social and behavioral sciences; the criminal justice system, technology, inequality, crime data accuracy and “digital punishment”
Angela H. Marshall
Advisory CouncilFormer Adjunct Professor, Essex County Community College and Special Instructor of Rutgers University’s NJ STEP Program for Edna Mahan Correction Facility for Women, more than 25 years of experience in law enforcement, workforce development, criminal justice programs management, community corrections and reentry.
Beverly Martin
Advisory CouncilRetired as a Judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit where she served for 11 years. Former US District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia, US Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, and former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia
Cynthia Webb McGarity
Advisory CouncilJustice Reform advocate, business owner and manager. Long-time community organizer, founder, and Executive Director of Rehoboth Family and Community Services for justice impacted families.
Keesha Middlemass, Ph.D.
Advisory CouncilBrookings Institution Fellow and an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Howard University. Author of the award-winning book, Convicted & Condemned: The Politics and Policies of Prisoner Reentry. Widely published researcher of lived experiences and policy analyses to develop policy alternatives.
Jose Morales
Advisory CouncilRetired Army Airborne Infantry and retired 22-year veteran of Georgia Department of Corrections. Long-serving warden of several prisons including Georgia's highest Maximum Security facility, and now a committed advocate for systems reform.
Lauren Phillips
Advisory CouncilLauren is a passionate advocate for justice impacted people including returning citizens and people in recovery. As the owner of Phillips Insurance Solutions, her work includes finding affordable and possibly free health insurance solutions for this underserved population. Previously she was co-director with MG Counseling Services.
Kathryn Rice, Ph.D.
Advisory CouncilAn advocate for social equality, and founder of Building Quality Communities, which specializes in community and economic development. Adjunct graduate studies professor of Research Methods at Troy University.
Carl Jamal (CJ) Rumsey
Advisory CouncilUrban ministry and social reform activist. Founder of The Prayer Plug ATL and in alliance with the renowned Maverick City Music group.
Lauren Shields
Advisory CouncilDevelopment Director with Shatterproof.Org, dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis. Driven by her personal family journey of addiction, incarceration, reentry and stigma; advocating throughout the Dallas and Atlanta policy market.
Rev. Jon T. Shonebarger
Advisory CouncilA veteran of the United States Air Force, having served over eight years in Strategic Air Command. Jon has been in ministry for over 40 years beginning in Omaha, Nebraska as a Volunteer Chaplain at the Douglas County Jail. The ministry would lead Jon into the pastorate, serving churches in Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska, and Kansas. Jon would return to Chaplaincy, serving prisons in Colorado, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Mykal Tairu
Advisory CouncilWorkforce investment advocate, community organizer, and social entrepreneur who has founded several companies and has managed several initiatives focused on improving the workforce value and capacity of justice-involved and other hard-to-place individuals.
Bobbie Ticknor, Ph.D.
Advisory CouncilAssistant Professor at Valdosta State University whose instruction includes Seminar in Corrections, Classification of Criminal Behavior, Data Analysis, Criminological Theory, and Research Methods.
Sara J. Totonchi
Advisory CouncilAn accomplished organizational leader and justice reform advocate. Formerly with the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) in Atlanta, and now as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Promise of Justice Initiative, Board Member of Motherhood Beyond Bars, and an Advisory Board Member of New Disabled South.
Joey Villemez
Advisory CouncilFounder & President of Probation Information Network, a comprehensive resource for federal defendants. Consultant, researcher, and presenter specializing in the federal criminal justice system and the collateral consequences of conviction.
EveLyn Wedge, Ph.D., LPC
Advisory CouncilPsychotherapist, Infant/Early Childhood Family and Parenting Specialist, Advisory Council member of The Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health, Founder and Director of The Early Years Matter, LLC, and founding board member of the Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health, Birth to Five.
Anthony Wilson
Advisory CouncilAdvocate. Joyful Disruptor. Educator. Founding Executive Director of Equity in Education, an advocacy organization focused on supporting bold, equity-centered leaders to run for public office and deliver justice for our littlest Atlantans.
Roderick L. Wyatt
Advisory CouncilHR and Workforce Development professional with over 20 years of progressive experience in employee relations, employment law, public-sector agency management, recruitment, training, and organizational design.