CSI RESEARCH & DATA

Akua Amaning is the director for Criminal Justice Reform at American Progress.

In her current role, she works to advance progressive policy solutions that will ensure a more equitable justice system, while providing protections and opportunities for those who have been directly affected by the criminal justice system. Prior to joining American Progress, Amaning served as the legislative fellow for U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), where she worked on a number of legislative and policy matters under the member’s House Judiciary Committee portfolio. She also served as the Nancy Hale Social Policy Fellow at Third Way, a nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C., where she worked in several issue areas, including immigration and policing reform. Amaning holds a Master of Law from American University’s Washington College of Law and a J.D. from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. She is also a proud alumna of the University of Miami, where she graduated with a B.A. in English literature.

Daryl V. Atkinson is the Co-Director and Co-Founder of Forward Justice.

At Forward Justice, Atkinson serves in several critical roles, including leading movement building litigation, advancing public policies that address the needs of people with criminal records, and offering tremendous thought leadership through scholarship and public speaking on criminal justice, race, and democracy.

Courtland Culver is the Assistant General Counsel of the American Conservative Union Foundation's Nolan Center for Justice. In his role, he assists with the center's research efforts, focusing on organized retail theft, specialized criminal courts, alternative diversion strategies, and clean slate policies. Courtland is a graduate of the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, during which time he was the Executive Editor of the Journal of Law, Economics, and Policy. He is also a graduate of the Florida State University Master's in Applied Economics Program. His graduate work included cost-benefit analysis of federal education grants.

Le’Ann Duran is Senior Director and Co-Lead of the Justice and Mobility Fund at Blue Meridian where she manages relationships with select investees, including providing guidance and serving as a lead touchpoint during the development and execution of scaling plans.

Le’Ann has spent the past two decades working with nonprofits and government agencies to design and implement research-informed policies and practices to address crime, incarceration, and poverty. Most recently, she was the Deputy Director of Corrections and Reentry Division and Director of Economic Mobility at the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center. In this role she directed the National Reentry Resource Center and led the Justice Center’s efforts to support economic opportunity and prosperity for people with criminal and juvenile records. Before this, she was the administrator of the Office of Reentry for the Michigan Department of Corrections, where she was responsible for managing Michigan’s statewide reentry initiative. Le’Ann also served as the executive director for the Center for Employment Opportunities’ New York operation. Le’Ann earned a BS in Family Studies from Texas Tech University and an MS in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University.

Ames Grawert is senior counsel and John L. Neu Justice Counsel in the Brennan Center’s Justice Program.

He leads quantitative and policy research focused on trends in crime, and the collateral costs of mass incarceration. Additionally, he advocates for criminal justice reform policies at the state and federal level. Previously, Grawert served as an assistant district attorney in the Appeals Bureau of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, where he reviewed and litigated claims of actual innocence in addition to his appellate work. Before entering public service, he was an associate at Mayer Brown LLP, where he represented criminal defendants pro bono in post-conviction litigation.

He leads quantitative and policy research focused on trends in crime, and the collateral costs of mass incarceration. Additionally, he advocates for criminal justice reform policies at the state and federal level. Previously, Grawert served as an assistant district attorney in the Appeals Bureau of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, where he reviewed and litigated claims of actual innocence in addition to his appellate work. Before entering public service, he was an associate at Mayer Brown LLP, where he represented criminal defendants pro bono in post-conviction litigation.

Mathilde Laisne serves as Portfolio Director at Blue Meridian with a focus on The Justice and Mobility Fund.

In this role, she works closely with Managing Directors to support relationships with investees, including facilitating the development of scaling plans and providing counsel on execution. She also helps to source and conduct due diligence on new investment opportunities and collaborates on innovation initiatives to expand Blue Meridian’s work. Prior to joining the Blue Meridian team, Mathilde spent six years with the Vera Institute of Justice in New Orleans, managing initiatives to reduce incarceration in the city’s jail. Her work included assisting the New Orleans Mayor’s office in developing and implementing a strategic plan to reduce the jail population and leading efforts to document and rethink the use of bail and fines and fees in New Orleans’s court system. In addition, she provided technical assistance to the Housing Authority of New Orleans in their efforts to give applicants with criminal convictions the opportunity to access subsidized housing. In New Orleans, Mathilde also facilitated and staffed the mayor elect’s Criminal Justice Funding Subcommittee, charged with developing recommendations to help tackle New Orleans’ fines and fees structure and bail reform. Mathilde holds an MA in International Security from the Paris School of International Affairs and a BA in Political Science from the Institute of Political Studies of Paris.