MEET THE TEAM

PJI’s work is powered by our small yet diverse, committed, and experienced team of professionals.

Our team includes people who grew up within a few miles of our office here in New Orleans, who come from rural Louisiana, and who came to New Orleans from multiple other states and countries. Members of the PJI team have been directly impacted by violence and the criminal legal system, were first-generation college students, and have been challenged by poverty, homelessness, and trauma. This broad diversity contributes significantly to our ability to cultivate rich and authentic relationships with our clients and the broader community we serve.

Our leadership and staff possess deep expertise in criminal defense and civil rights strategy, trial, appellate, and post-conviction litigation, legislative advocacy, strategic communications, community engagement, coalition and power building, and narrative change story telling. Our team is complemented by a dedicated and accomplished board of directors and a regular influx of committed interns, volunteers, and fellows.

PJI Executive Director

Samantha Kennedy

Samantha is an attorney, mitigation specialist, and a racial justice and human rights advocate committed to fighting for the rights and dignity of people impacted by the incarceration system and other oppressive governmental actions. A proven leader with expertise in capital defense, litigation strategy, and complex narrative construction, Samantha has focused her efforts on the death penalty and international conflict. As a thought leader, she collaborates nationwide with capital defenders on policy and practice and has been faculty at dozens of trainings and intensive educational programs all over the world.

Rev. Alexis Anderson

Baton Rouge Organizer
(she/her/hers)
Rev. Alexis Anderson is an ordained servant teacher, minister and the founder and Executive Director of PREACH. Rev. Anderson serves on the Louisiana Mental Health Advisory Board, the Committee to Support Healthcare Equity, the 19th JDC Domestic Violence Specialty Court Planning Workgroup, the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana Board and is the Life Skills Chair of the Capital Area LA-PRI IST Committee. She is a member of the Prison Subcommittee of the Louisiana Stop Solitary Coalition. Rev. Alexis Anderson is a proud member of the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Coalition.
Matt Bailey

Director of Administration & Development
(he/him/his)
Matt Bailey oversees administration, development, and communications at PJI, and is a crime survivor. Before joining PJI, Matt served as innovation and engagement officer on a suicide prevention initiative with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and worked as a strategic communication consultant. His career includes policy and leadership roles in government, higher education, and nonprofit leadership development and advocacy. Matt also served six years in the Army National Guard, co-founded New Leaders Council-Louisiana and Fair Districts Louisiana, and was part of the 2014 cohort of Leadership Louisiana (CABL). A native of Jena and first-generation college graduate, Matt has a J.D. from George Washington University and a B.A. from Northwestern State University.
Samantha Bosalavage

Senior Staff Attorney
(she/her/hers)
Samantha (Sammy) Bosalavage received her J.D. from New York University School of Law. She initially came to work at PJI as an Avodah Jewish Service Corps Member and then remained on the team as a paralegal and outreach coordinator for three years before leaving to attend law school. She received her B.A. from Tulane University in Sociology and Social Policy & Practice. During law school, she was a student advocate with the Office of the Appellate Defender through NYU’s Criminal Appellate Defender Clinic and with the Brooklyn Defender Services through NYU’s Criminal Defense and Reentry Clinic, as well as a volunteer with the Parole Preparation Project. Over the summers, she interned at the ACLU’s Criminal Law Reform Project and the Southern Center for Human Rights. She served on the board of the N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Change as an Executive Editor.
Michael Cahoon

Organizer
(he/him/his)
Michael Cahoon is an Organizer on the Community Impact team, providing support to the LAREPEAL coalition and the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Coalition. Before coming to PJI in 2018, Michael was a lead organizer with SEIU Local 509, a 20,000 member union of social workers, human service providers, and educators, where he also served as president for an independent union of SEIU organizers and support staff. Before organizing, he worked in policy research and development for New Jersey After 3, a nonprofit providing after school programming, evaluation, and policy consultation. He has a BA in English and Social Science from Bennington College in Vermont.
Claude-Michael Comeau

Staff Attorney
(he/him/his)
Claude-Michael Comeau graduated from LSU Law in 2013. Before joining PJI, Claude-Michael was a Managing Attorney at Refugee Services of Texas in Dallas, Texas, where he helped reunite refugees with their loved ones after fleeing persecution. Claude-Michael has also spent time as a contract attorney for the Caddo Public Defenders. Claude-Michael is excited to be back in his home state helping to shape a more equitable Louisiana.
Kara Crutcher

Staff Attorney
(she/they)
Kara is dedicated to building people power and the abolition of all carceral systems. Originally from Chicago, Kara joins PJI after working as a clinical fellow in the Community Justice and Civil Rights clinic at Northwestern University, where she supervised teams of law students, and co-led the clinic's civil rights litigation, policy advocacy, and movement lawyering projects.
Kara's work is informed by her multidisciplinary background in community organizing, group facilitation, and somatic practices such as Interplay and Theater of the Oppressed. Kara holds a J.D. and M.S.W. from the University of Michigan, a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Clinical Massage Therapy diploma from Soma Institute in Chicago.
Brittany Dantzler

Finance Manager
(she/her/hers)
Brittany Dantzler is the finance manager for PJI. She graduated from Dillard University in 2012 with her bachelor's degree in business management. Before coming to PJI, Brittany worked in the banking industry for eight years, where she helped maintain a multi‐million-dollar portfolio of the team’s corporate clients. At PJI, she is committed to assisting the different departments in staying on budget so that everyone can achieve their goals for the betterment of the clients being served and represented by the office.
Sara Gozalo

Narrative Storyteller
(she/her/hers)
Sara Gozalo is a Storyteller at PJI. With a PhD in immunology from UMass, Sara co-founded Students for Peace and Justice. She was also a member of the Worcester Global Action Network. In 2016, Sara was the Supervising Coordinator of the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City until she moved to New Orleans. Sara is originally from Madrid, Spain. She is a queer immigrant who believes in a world without borders and without jails, where everyone has the right to live in dignity.
Myisha Growe

Organizer
(she/her/hers)
Born and raised in New Orleans, Myisha Growe has always championed the equal treatment of all people. She grew up with an incarcerated father and a single mother, who would often bring her to Cottonport Prison for visitation. Seeing her father behind bars encouraged her to be bold and use her voice to advocate for those who have none. Myisha graduated with a Master’s in criminal justice from Southern University in New Orleans in May 2024. A survivor of human trafficking, Myisha has organized community speaking engagements at multiple universities in New Orleans to educate young college students about the dangers of human trafficking. Leading with empathy, understanding, patience, and care, Myisha’s purpose as a Crime Survivor Organizer is to support survivors by helping them restore feelings of safety and security by working to implement policies that will provide hope and help them begin their healing process.
Julia Louizides

Development Associate
(she/her/hers)
Julia Louizides supports PJI’s development initiatives. Her dedication to this work is shaped by prior experiences providing direct support and building relationships with PJI clients and their families.
Julia previously worked as a paralegal on civil rights cases. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College where she studied anthropology, co-founded the Sexual Respect Peer Alliance, and served as an Associate with the Kenyon Review. Julia interned in the Office of U.S. Senator Cory Booker and at American Jewish World Service. She has conducted anthropological research in rural Ohio, Nepal, Jordan, and Chile.
In New Orleans, Julia is a community-based birth doula practicing through a framework of reproductive and birth justice. In all pursuits, she strives to center the dignity and holistic personhood of the clients she serves.
Isabel Naquin

Communications Associate
(she/her/hers)
Isabel Naquin is the Communications and Development Specialist at PJI. She has years of experience in communications, including serving as the Social Media Student Assistant at Portland State University's Office of Research and Graduate Studies, along with interning for Southeastern Louisiana University and Ascension Public Schools. Isabel holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from Southeastern Louisiana University and is currently pursuing her Master's degree in History at the University of New Orleans. A Louisiana native, she is committed to leveraging communications and storytelling to promote human rights, a cause she has actively supported through independent projects with research centers, magazine publishers, and book festivals.
Erica Navalance

Associate Director of Strategic Criminal Litigation
(she/her/hers)
Erica Navalance has worked with both Capital Appeals Project and PJI since 2015, but joined PJI full time in 2021 as a senior staff attorney for the Strategic Defense Litigation project, focusing on combatting excessive sentences, capital punishment, and other injustices in the criminal system. In addition to direct representation, Erica was a part of the Lewis v. Cain and Ramos v. Louisiana litigation teams, co-authored a report shedding light on the terrible conditions of confinement in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, and has taught courses on incarceration and the death penalty at Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law. Erica earned her BA from Brandeis University, served as an Americorps member for two years in Boston, and then received her JD from Wake Forest School of Law.
San Pope

Organizer
(she/her/hers)
San Pope earned her BA in Sociology from Louisiana Tech and her Master's in Social Work from Jackson State, bringing over a decade of enriching experience in the field. She is deeply passionate about social justice, and her advocacy has significantly contributed to the well-being of individuals and communities through her multifaceted roles and holistic approaches. Ms. Pope believes that exposure leads to expansion and has extended her impact globally through collaborations with non-profit organizations. She currently serves on various executive committees and has a strong background in mitigation.
Colin Reingold

Legal Director
(he/him/his)
Before joining PJI Colin Reingold was the Litigation Director and Senior Counsel at the Orleans Public Defenders (OPD), where he supervised the Special Litigation Division and also handled direct representation trial cases. He oversaw OPD’s appellate and systemic litigation and argued numerous times in front of the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Louisiana Supreme Court. Prior to OPD, Colin clerked for the Hon. Ginger Berrigan of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. Before law school he was an English teacher at Edna Karr High School in New Orleans. Colin has a J.D. from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from Yale University.
Lauren Sapp

Deputy Director
Lauren is an attorney, advocate, and educator. As Deputy Director, Lauren assists in advancing PJI's vision and building and supporting a formidable team to challenge mass incarceration and its myriad harms. Before joining PJI, Lauren was the Director of Student Affairs at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. At Loyola, Lauren championed and designed racial equity and inclusion initiatives, managed complex student, faculty, and administration dynamics, and spearheaded Know Your Rights education efforts.
Her career also includes being a public defender with the Orleans Public Defenders, where she fiercely advocated against police misconduct and illegal detentions. Her leadership extended to hiring and managing trial teams, fostering collaboration, and driving community outreach. Lauren has a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola Marymount University.
Deidre Thomas

Paralegal
(she/her/hers)
Deidre Thomas is proud to work at PJI as a formerly incarcerated woman. During her time at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, Deidre became a self-taught Offender Council Sub /Jailhouse Lawyer, giving 25.5 years of service. Deidre, along with other women serving life sentences who served as her role models, sought to understand and challenge incarcerated women’s convictions, sentences, and conditions of confinement. Through that process, she obtained her bachelor’s degree from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in Seminary with minors in Biblical and Women’s Ministry.
As part of encouraging her son to complete school, Deidre promised to remain in school until her son graduated from high school. To fulfill the pact she made with her son, Deidre obtained a Blackstone Paralegal Certificate and a Wolf Creek Business Growth Institute Certificate. Despite her son having completed high school, Deidre continues to pursue an additional degree in Social Science from Newcomb College at Tulane University.
Amber Thorpe

Associate Director of Operations
(they/them/theirs)
Originally from Los Angeles, Amber Thorpe moved to New Orleans to attend college at Tulane University and they graduated in 2018 with a dual degree in anthropology and political science, with a minor in Africana studies. Before working at the 1024 Building, they worked at Tulane University's Center for Public Service coordinating service-learning courses and facilitating conversations about equity and oppression on Tulane's campus.
Hardell Ward

Director of Community Impact
(he/him/his)
Hardell Ward received a B.A. from Morehouse College in 2005 and his J.D. with a certificate in Sports Law from the Tulane University School of Law in 2008. During his time at TLS, he served on the Moot Court Board and as a student-practitioner for the Domestic Violence Clinic. After initially working commercial litigation, he returned to public interest work as Staff Attorney in the Housing Unit at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services in 2009. In addition to his work in housing, he lead SLLS's Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program helping justice‐involved youths return home to their communities. In 2017, he was named an Access to Justice Hero. He joined PJI in January '20 where he is serving as the Director of Community Impact.
Lydia Wright

Associate Director of Civil Litigation
(she/her/hers)
Lydia Wright has significant experience litigating class and mass actions in state and federal courts across the country. Lydia was a fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center and an associate at a boutique complex civil litigation firm in New Orleans. She clerked for the Hon. Nannette Jolivette Brown in the Eastern District of Louisiana and served as a staff attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Before law school, Lydia taught middle school English in New Mexico and studied Arabic in Jordan as a Fulbright fellow. She has a J.D. from Berkeley Law and a B.A. from the University of Washington. Lydia is licensed in Louisiana, Mississippi and Washington.

Of Counsel

Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson (Ret.)

Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson (Ret.) served as a justice on Louisiana’s highest court for 26 years, and held the chief justice role from 2013 through 2020. Justice Johnson graduated from Spelman College. During the 1960s, she worked as a community organizer with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense & Educational Fund on school desegregation and at the U.S. Department of Justice (Civil Rights Division). In 1969, she became one of the first Black woman to graduate from Paul Herbert Law School at Louisiana State University. Following law school, she worked as the Managing Attorney with the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation, where she delivered legal services to over three thousand clients in socio-economically deprived neighborhoods. In 1984, the people of New Orleans elected her to the Orleans Parish Civil District Court. She was the first woman to serve on that court. In 1994, she was elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Justice Johnson worked to reform Louisiana’s criminal system as a member of the Justice Reinvestment taskforce. She serves as of counsel at PJI.

Nishi Kumar

Nishi Kumar is Of Counsel at PJI. She supports litigation around various criminal justice issues affecting currently and formerly incarcerated people throughout Louisiana. She graduated from NYU Law School in 2015, where she was a Hays Civil Liberty fellow, a Notes Editor on the NYU Law Review, and co-chair of the South Asian Law Students Association. After graduation, Nishi clerked for Judge Paul Watford on the Ninth Circuit and Judge Jesse Furman on the Southern District of New York. Prior to law school, Nishi was a middle school math teacher at New Orleans College Prep.

Service Corps Volunteers

Ty Langley

Ty Langley is a Client and Family Assistance Coordinator with PJI through Avodah's Jewish Service Corps. She moved to New Orleans from Austin, Texas, where she spent the past two years working at the Texas Hillel Foundation, helping to connect Jewish college students to social justice opportunities. Ty attended Lewis and Clark College and graduated with a B.A. in Religious Studies and Gender. She also ran Cross Country and Track and field. Ty is excited to embark on this year of service and deepen connections with clients and their families.

Trevor Buchan

Trevor Buchan is a Client and Family Assistance Coordinator at PJI. He recently graduated from Seattle University with a B.A. in Public Affairs specializing in policy & justice, and hopes to pursue a career committed to juvenile justice reform. He is currently serving as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, a yearlong service program dedicated to four core values of social justice, community, spirituality, and simple living. Trevor is excited to spend this year learning from and assisting clients and plans to explore all the food, music, and beauty New Orleans has to offer in his free time.