Great to meet you!
Hi there, I'm a licensed social worker currently working at Brooklyn Defender Services as a Mitigation Supervisor in the Social Work Unit. As a Mitigation Supervisor, I am responsible for overseeing all mitigation reports produced by our social work team. I have seven years of experience working at public defender agencies in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Delaware.
In 2019 I was a Mitigation Specialist for Defender Association of Philadelphia's Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP) unit. I specialized in developing mitigation themes for clients who were sentenced as juveniles to life without parole. In 2012, Miller v. Alabama banned mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles. Four years later, Montgomery v. Louisiana ruled Miller retroactive. At the Defender Association of Philadelphia, we were working to re-sentence 225 individuals who were sentenced to life without parole in Philadelphia. Many of our clients had been incarcerated for over 30 years without the opportunity to appear in front of the parole board. Now, thanks to Miller, our clients have the chance to be found eligible for parole and released into the community.
Previously I was a Senior Social Worker at Brooklyn Defender Services in their Criminal Defense Practice. There, I collaborated with attorneys to represent clients who were charged with a range of crimes, varying from B level misdemeanors to A level felonies. Additionally, I have experience working with young adults and families living with serious and persistent mental illness, those with dual-diagnosis substance abuse disorders, person's living with HIV and AIDS, and families with ACS involvement. I have a strong record of client advocacy in Brooklyn Criminal Court, Supreme Court, and Family Court. I have a strong legal background as well as a knowledge base of tenant's rights in supportive/low-income housing.