Staff
Tracy Velázquez, Executive Director
tracy@justicepolicy.org | (202) 558-7974 ext. 311
Tracy Velázquez is a passionate advocate and committed progressive who was most recently senior program associate at the Vera Institute of Justice's Center on Sentencing and Corrections, where she worked with policymakers on expanding the diversion of people with substance abuse problems involved in the criminal justice system and implementing evidence-based supervision practices that improve the success rates of people re-entering the community from prison.
Velázquez has been a long-time agent for change in a number of policy arenas. She is the former executive director of the Montana Mental Health Association, where she worked with policymakers to secure additional funding for mental health and suicide prevention, and to reduce the criminalization of people with mental illness. Through the media, she and her agency raised awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one of the top disabilities facing returning Iraq veterans. Prior to that, she co-founded and managed Commonwealth Consulting, a consulting firm providing strategic capacity-building services to nonprofits and public agencies. Velázquez also ran for U.S. Congress and served as Vice Chair of the Montana Democratic Party. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and a Master's of Public Administration degree from Montana State University.
Paul Ashton, Research Assistant
pashton@justicepolicy.org | (202) 558-7974 ext. 304
Prior to joining JPI, Paul spent time as a sexual assault victim advocate and conducting research examining intimate partner violence in the LGBT community. Paul’s experience with victim issues led him to author JPI’s white paper: Moving Toward a Public Safety Paradigm: A Roundtable Discussion on Victims and Criminal Justice Reform. He is also the author of Gaming the System: How the Political Strategies of Private Prison Companies Promote Ineffective Incarceration Policies. Paul has also served on the policy committee of the Delaware HIV Consortium – working to educate the Delaware State Legislature on the need for increased funding to address homelessness and HIV. Paul received his Bachelor's Degree in Criminology from The Ohio State University and a Master's Degree in Criminology from the University of Delaware.
Jason Fenster, Communications Associate
jfenster@justicepolicy.org | (202) 558-7974 ext. 306
Before joining the JPI team, Jason served in a year-long fellowship as an Eisendrath Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC). There, he worked with civil rights and interfaith coalitions to develop campaigns and advocacy strategies surrounding issues of criminal justice, civil rights, gun control, and voting rights. He graduated from Brandeis University with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and a minor in Legal Studies.
Zerline Hughes, Communications Manager
zhughes@justicepolicy.org | (202) 558-7974 ext.308
Zerline interacts with media and helps execute JPI's communications strategy. She helped produce "Blocking the Exit," a short documentary on the parole process in Maryland for people serving life sentences. Prior to joining JPI, Zerline was the Communications Manager for The Sentencing Project, a national nonprofit focused on criminal justice reform by way of research and advocacy. While there, Zerline maintained and wrote for the website and participated in advocacy and communications campaigns that resulted in legislation reform and national media attention. She also helped produce a short documentary entitled “Crack the Disparity: It's Not Fair. It's Not Working.” which was screened throughout Washington, D.C. and on Capitol Hill. Zerline has also worked as a public relations consultant and newspaper reporter and freelance writer for publications including the Boston Globe, Baltimore Sun, Ventura (Calif.) County Star and Dance Magazine. Zerline earned a Bachelor's of Arts in journalism and photography from Howard University and a Master's of Science in Communication Management from Simmons College.
Amanda Petteruti, Associate Director
apetteruti@justicepolicy.org | (202) 558-7974 ext. 313
Amanda Petteruti is a researcher and policy analyst with approximately seven years of combined experience in education and criminal justice policy. Early in her career, she organized a writing program for youth at the National Campaign to Stop Violence and provided general support to the National Juvenile Defender Center. Prior to joining the staff of the Justice Policy Institute, she conducted research on issues pertaining to urban education at the Council of the Great City Schools. Petteruti has earned a Master of Arts in education policy and leadership from the University of Maryland College Park and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Bates College. Petteruti has contributed to several JPI reports related to education policy and co-authored The Vortex: The Concentrated Racial Impact of Drug Imprisonment and the Characteristics of Punitive Counties and JPI's Public Safety Policy Brief series.
Kellie Shaw, Operations Coordinator
kshaw@justicepolicy.org | (202) 558-7974 ext. 302
Kellie ensures that the JPI office runs smoothly by overseeing the day-to-day operations of the office. She comes to us with many years of experience including work as Service Administrator for Canon Business Solutions, Inc. and Webster Fredrickson & Brackshaw, LLP, both in Washington, D.C. Her operations experience also includes a position as Legal Secretary at Bryan Cave, LLP in New York City, and work in administration at Ashcraft & Gerel, LLP in Washington. She is also currently pursuing her Bachelor's in Communication Studies, with a minor in Marketing, at the University of Maryland University College, in College Park, Maryland.
Keith Wallington, Project Manager
kwallington@justicepolicy.org | (202) 558-7974 ext. 310
Prior to joining JPI, Keith worked as an organizer for the Alliance for Retired Americans, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and economic security of older Americans. As a field organizer, he helped to build and charter states to the national Alliance and educate the public about the health and economic concerns of older Americans. After working as an organizer, he served as the Director of Community Outreach for the Alliance for Retired Americans where he helped build the organization through group affiliation. Keith also worked as a field organizer for Fight Crime: Invest in Kids (FCIK), where he recruited and educated top law enforcement officials about the importance of early education and evidence-based programs as proactive investments to fighting crime including meetings with Congressman John Spratt (SC), U.S. Budget Committee Chairman, to discuss investments in education as a way of reducing future crime. Keith graduated from American University with degrees in Biology and Psychology.