As Executive Director of ORP, Assata sets a clear vision and direction for a comprehensive citywide approach to improving reentry outcomes and reducing recidivism.

Prior to her current role, she served as Chief Community Justice Officer of the Institute for Community Justice (ICJ), a program of Philadelphia FIGHT. As Chief, she oversaw the effective execution of ICJ’s aims to provide support, education, and advocacy for individuals, families, and communities impacted by mass incarceration.

Assata has over 20 years of social service experience. She commenced her training as a Corrections Officer with the State of New Jersey and became the first female President of the Corrections Officers Training Academy of New Jersey. Concurrently, she received a B.A. with honors from Rutgers University in Africana and Urban Studies and a Masters of Restorative Justice from Vermont Law and Graduate School.

She is a passionate advocate on behalf of those affected by mass incarceration; moreover, having lived through the experience of a felony conviction, she is uniquely qualified to speak with credibility and authority to the issues facing all who have been affected by the system. Her personal trajectory and hard-won successes fuel her passion for helping others.