Staff Directory
Director
Michael Thompson, Director
Michael Thompson has worked on criminal justice policy issues with the Council of State Governments since 1997, getting his start with CSG's Eastern Regional Conference. During his tenure at CSG, Thompson has launched and overseen various national policy initiatives to improve outcomes for people with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system; enhance the ability of people released from prisons and jails to succeed in the community; and increase public safety, reduce spending on corrections, and improve conditions in the neighborhoods to which most people released from prison return. These efforts have prompted congressional hearings, federal legislation, national news coverage, and bipartisan legislative and programmatic initiatives in states across the country. Prior to joining CSG, Mike worked for three years for the Office of the Court Monitor, which a U.S. District Court Judge established, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mike received his B.A. with honors from Middlebury College.
Austin, TX
Jason Bryl, Database Analyst
Jason Bryl provides data analysis and project support for the CSG Justice Center's Research Division. He has worked for over 13 years as a database analyst, specializing in government and criminal justice-related data. Before joining the Justice Center, Jason worked as an independent data consultant for projects around the country and worked for several Texas state and local agencies, including the Criminal Justice Policy Council. He received a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Mike Eisenberg, Research Manager
Mike Eisenberg manages the logistics and methodology of key research and evaluation projects in the areas of parole, probation, and substance abuse and mental health treatment programs. For the past 25 years he has directed complex research projects and has written analytical reports for policymakers and correctional administrators for the state of Texas, including work for the Criminal Justice Policy Council, Board of Pardons and Paroles, and Department of Criminal Justice-Parole Division. Most recently he served as Director of Research and Evaluation for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Community Justice Assistance Division. He has evaluated substance abuse treatment, mentally ill offender diversion programs, faith-based correctional programs, sex offender treatment, and employment and correctional education programs. Mike also has conducted technical assistance activities for state universities and national experts in Florida and Missouri. He received a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Antonio Fabelo, Director of Research
Tony Fabelo, Ph.D., is in charge of designing, developing and implementing a research agenda for the Justice Center. He also provides technical assistance to state and local governments to help them increase public safety and make more efficient uses of state and local taxpayer dollars. Before joining CSG, he was a Senior Research Associate with the JFA Institute. He worked between 1984 and 2003 with the Texas Criminal Justice Policy Council, appointed to head this state research and evaluation agency in 1991. During Tony's tenure on the council, he advised five governors (including former Governors Ann Richards and George W. Bush) and ten regular biennial Texas legislatures in developing criminal and juvenile justice policies. Tony received his B.A. in Political Science from Loyola University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Bethesda, MD
Danica Han, Administrative Assistant
Danica Han assists the Government Affairs, Communications, Law Enforcement, and Health Systems and Services groups. She previously worked as the operations manager at Blue Heron Wellness. She is pursuing an A.A. at Howard Community College.
Leah Kane, Government Affairs Assistant
Leah Kane serves both the Government Affairs and Communications teams. Leah previously worked in the New York office of Congressman Jerry Nadler as his scheduler and staff assistant. She also co-founded and directed the Criminal Justice Reform Project, a pro bono initiative focused on expanding diversion programs for District of Columbia residents with substance abuse disorders. Leah received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College, her M.P.A. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship at Syracuse University, and her J.D. from George Washington University Law School.
Kathy Lynch, Communications Associate
Kathy Lynch assists the CSG Justice Center’s Director of Communications in both publication and media efforts. She edits and coordinates production on print and web-based projects and helps to implement media strategies. Previously she worked as a magazine editor for Weider History Group and as a journal and book editor for the American Psychological Association and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She received a B.A. from West Virginia University and is completing an M.S. at McDaniel College.
Jessica Nickel, Director of Government Affairs
Jessica Nickel coordinates and oversees the CSG Justice Center’s government affairs efforts to promote the priorities of CSG members and their partners on Capitol Hill and with the executive branch. Jessica also directs projects that examine criminal justice issues related to substance abuse, as well as how states can better collaborate with community and faith-based organizations. She previously worked in the office of former U.S. Representative Rob Portman, developing policy strategies in several issue areas including Social Security, substance abuse, and crime. She has an extensive background in criminal justice, with special expertise in issues related to prisoner re-entry and substance abuse prevention and treatment. She received her B.A. from Princeton University.
Blake Norton, Project Director
Blake Norton serves as an advisor and technical assistance provider on Justice Center projects that focus on law enforcement issues and community partnerships. Before joining the center, Blake spent more than 18 years with the Boston Police Department, where she helped shape the agency’s prisoner reentry efforts and successfully worked with citizens and faith-based organizations to advance consensus-based strategies for improving public safety. She designed and managed the police department’s community affairs activities, including programs for court-involved and at-risk youth. She received her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts and her M.Ed from Boston University.
Fred Osher, Director of Health Systems and Services Policy
Fred Osher, M.D., oversees the health components of the CSG Justice Center's initiatives. He also provides technical assistance to state and local governments across the country seeking to improve their response to people who have mental health and/or substance use disorders and are involved in the criminal justice system. Before joining the CSG Justice Center, Fred served as the Director of the Center for Behavioral Health, Justice, and Public Policy and as an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He has published extensively in the areas of homelessness, community psychiatry, co-occurring mental and addictive disorders, and effective approaches to persons with behavioral disorders within criminal justice settings. He received his B.A. from Harvard University and his M.D. from Wayne State University.
Martha Plotkin, Director of Communications
Martha Plotkin develops and coordinates the CSG Justice Center’s communications strategies, which include reaching out to the media, developing publications, and building partnerships with other organizations to increase national attention to key issues. She also works with staff on projects related to law enforcement policy issues and designs new projects for the program. Martha, an attorney, previously worked as the Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs at the Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit membership organization of law enforcement leaders. She has written extensively on public safety issues and has directed research and training projects in such areas as homelessness and elder abuse. Martha received her B.A. from Brandeis University, and her J.D. from the George Washington University National Law Center.
New York City
Policy Staff
Lauren Almquist, Policy Analyst
Lauren Almquist coordinates the CSG Justice Center’s efforts to support court-based initiatives for people with mental illnesses in contact with the criminal justice system. She oversees the Bureau of Justice Assistance Mental Health Court Learning Sites and the Judges’ Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative. She received a B.A. with honors from Middlebury College.
Gina Anzaldúa, Research Associate
Gina Anzaldúa works on the Prisoner Re-Entry Partnerships: Community and Faith-Based Organizations project, and provides support for the Re-Entry Policy Council website. Prior to joining the CSG Justice Center, Gina was the Development Coordinator at the Center for Employment Opportunities, a New York City organization that provides employment services to people released from prison. She received her B.A. with honors from New York University.
Marshall Clement, Project Director
Marshall Clement directs the CSG Justice Center’s justice reinvestment project, which assists policymakers seeking to increase public safety, reduce corrections spending, and improve conditions in the neighborhoods to which most people released from prison return. As part of this assistance, Marshall coordinates the work of a team of national experts to analyze corrections data and policy and develop policy options for state policymakers. He regularly facilitates meetings among judicial and state agency officials, and testifies before legislative committees in various states across the US. His findings have been used to inform policy initiatives in states that have enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support. Before joining CSG, Clement was a policy researcher with the Rhode Island Family Life Center, a nationally recognized prisoner re-entry program, where he worked on improving access to housing and TANF resources for individuals recently released from prison and jail. Marshall received his B.A. in Public Policy with honors from Brown University.
Elizabeth Dodd, Research Assistant
Elizabeth Dodd provides research support to the CSG Justice Center’s initiative to improve services for victims of crime committed by people with mental illnesses. She received her B.A. with high honors from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Laura Draper, Research Associate
Laura Draper works on the CSG Justice Center’s law enforcement projects to improve the outcomes of police encounters with people with mental illnesses and to help law enforcement executives better assess and improve their agency’s role in promoting safe and successful prisoner re-entry. She received her B.A. with highest honors from Case Western Reserve University, her MPhil from the University of Cambridge, and her M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Nancy Fishman, Project Director
Nancy Fishman directs the Consensus Project—the Justice Center initiative to improve the response of the criminal justice system to people with mental illnesses. She has extensive experience as a lawyer and policy analyst focusing on people involved with the justice system. She has conducted research and analysis, implemented strategies, and developed pilot projects on such issues as prisoner reentry, housing, and urban development. Most recently, she worked as a Senior Law and Policy Analyst for the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and on the faculty of the New York University School of Law. Nancy received her B.A. from Yale University, her M.A. from Northwestern University, and her J.D. from Yale Law School.
Crystal Garland, Research Associate
Crystal Garland oversees the development of the CSG Justice Center’s justice reinvestment website and project overview materials. She also provides state-based research support to justice reinvestment staff. Prior to joining the CSG Justice Center, Crystal volunteered with the Correctional Association of New York, visiting correctional facilities throughout the state of New York to speak with staff and inmates regarding prison conditions. She received both her B.A. with honors and M.A. from Stanford University.
Hope Glassberg, Policy Analyst
Hope Glassberg coordinates the CSG Justice Center’s efforts to address criminal justice/mental health issues that relate to victims of crime. She oversees two projects: an initiative to address the unmet needs of women with mental illnesses who are crime victims and an initiative to improve resources for victims of crime committed by people with mental illnesses. She also supports the Justice Center’s communications and legislative programs. Prior to joining CSG, Hope worked as a journalist for Dow Jones Newswires and as a freelance writer for publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The New Republic Online. She received her B.A. from Columbia University.
Sara Marnel, Research Associate
Sara Marnel provides state-based research support for the Justice Center’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative. She also coordinates the Justice Center’s efforts to provide assistance to policymakers interested in reinvesting savings in education and employment programs and services. Prior to joining CSG, she worked as a fellow at the Innocence Project on DNA evidence preservation issues. She received her B.A. with honors from the University of Florida and her J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
LaToya McBean, Policy Analyst
LaToya McBean provides assistance in implementing justice reinvestment strategies to state policymakers in Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Connecticut. Before joining CSG, LaToya served as a staff assistant to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary. She has also served as a staff assistant to U.S. Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner. She received her B.A. from Stony Brook University and her M.P.P. from Regent University, Virginia Beach.
Elizabeth Meyer, Research Associate
Elizabeth Meyer works on the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program and provides support for the Justice Center's efforts to promote collaboration between corrections and mental health systems. Elizabeth received her B.A. from Duke University and her M.S.W. and M.S. in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Marc Pelka, Policy Analyst
Marc Pelka assists state policymakers in implementing justice reinvestment strategies. Before joining the Justice Center, Marc served as a press aide in the Connecticut House of Representatives and subsequently as a policy aide to the Speaker of the House. His duties for the Speaker consisted of legislative research, planning, and coordination, with a concentration on policy before the Judiciary Committee. Marc received his B.A. with honors from New York University and his M.P.P. in criminal justice policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Seth Prins, Policy Analyst
Seth Prins coordinates the CSG Justice Center’s efforts to promote collaboration between corrections and mental health systems and improve those systems’ response to individuals with mental illnesses. He also oversees the development of various project websites. Seth received his B.A. with Great Distinction from McGill University.
Shawn Rogers, Policy Analyst
Shawn Rogers is currently working to create a guide that will help state policymakers assess their state’s re-entry plan. Prior to joining the CSG Justice Center, Shawn worked as a Research Associate for the Citizens Budget Commission in New York, where he analyzed state fiscal issues, with a particular emphasis on the impact state fiscal policies had on the City of New York. Shawn began his career in policy analysis at the Bighorn Center in Denver, Colorado, working on issues that ranged from voting rights to alternative sentencing for non-violent drug offenders. He received his B.A. from Kansas State University and his M.P.P from the University of Denver.
Jamie Yoon, Policy Analyst
Jamie Yoon oversees the CSG Justice Center’s re-entry website and newsletter, and provides research support to senior re-entry policy staff. She currently oversees a project to help policymakers address issues of housing for sex offenders released from prison and jail. She received her B.A. from Columbia University.
Finance and Operations
Renée Brackett, Logistics Coordinator
Renée Brackett has been with CSG since 2001. She plans and directs logistics, including hotel and meeting site selection, contract negotiations, and all related travel arrangements. She also serves as the Executive Assistant to the Director.
Danielle Edwards, Budget Director
Danielle Edwards is responsible for overseeing all of the CSG Justice Center’s finances. She manages the Justice Center’s many grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and budgets, as well as supervises associated finance staff. She also works with the director on strategic planning for the Justice Center. Prior to joining CSG, she was a Budget and Financial Analyst at Columbia University. Danielle received her B.A. from Boston University.
Debbie Paige, Office Coordinator
Debbie Paige manages all facets of the Human Resource process for the CSG Justice Center and functions as the liaison with CSG’s National Headquarters. She also serves as administrative liaison throughout the Justice Center’s various offices as well as throughout the Eastern Regional Conference. She received her BS with honors from Southern New Hampshire University, her BA from the College of Staten Island, and is currently pursing her M.A. at the College of Staten Island.
Maripili Rodriguez, Administrative Assistant
Maripili Rodriguez is responsible for making travel arrangements, assisting with correspondence, maintaining the organization’s contacts database, preparing materials for dissemination, and planning meetings. Mari received her A.D. from Essex County College and a certificate in culinary arts from the New York Restaurant School.
The CSG Justice Center also draws on a diverse group of other expert consultants who bring extensive experience and insights to the Justice Center’s project work.