We’re thrilled to announce that the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab is expanding!
Ana Gonzalez is joining the PJIL team as our Research Analyst/Project Manager. In this role, Ana will work closely with PJIL’s Director and Associate Director, Michele Deitch and Alycia Welch, respectively, to manage the Louisiaana Jail Standards Project and to provide research and project management support for PJIL’s other projects.
The Louisiana Jail Standards Project—named by Arnold Ventures as one of five criminal justice reforms to watch in 2022—was launched with the passage of Louisiana House Concurrent Resolution 89, which directs the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPSC) and the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association to work with PJIL to develop recommendations for modifying the state’s jail standards and for establishing a statewide jail oversight body.
Ana brings a wealth of knowledge and relevant experience to the position. Prior to joining PJIL, Ana worked as the Senior Research Associate at the Board of Correction, a civilian oversight body that monitors and regulates conditions of confinement in New York City jails. At the Board, Ana designed monitoring and evaluation systems to assess the NYC Department of Correction’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, use of restrictive housing units, and young adult housing strategy. She also developed data collection tools and public-facing reports that helped the Board of Correction assess the jail agency’s compliance with minimum jail standards. Before becoming an oversight practitioner, Ana worked as a program manager at the Armed Services Arts Partnership, a non-profit organization that provides free art and comedy classes to veterans, service members, military families, and caregivers. Ana holds her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and her masters in Sociology from Columbia University.
We’re so excited to have Ana as part of the team. Please join us in welcoming her to the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab and the LBJ School!
The Prison and Jail Innovation Lab is a policy resource center at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin that serves as a catalyst to ensure the safe and humane treatment of people in custody.