Alyshia Dyer is a law enforcement professional and therapist. She worked as a deputy sheriff in the road patrol division at the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and is now running for Sheriff. She is also a part-time therapist with a background in community organizing. Alyshia grew up in Ypsilanti and holds two graduate degrees in public policy and social work.

Marilena David is the Deputy Director of the State Appellate Defender Office where she represents indigent individuals on appeal of their felony convictions. In 2022, Marilena represented an individual in a case where the Michigan Supreme Court reversed the conviction on the basis of a coerced confession. Marilena is an adjunct professor at Wayne State University.

Cassy Jones-McBryde is a renowned Community Strategist and Micro-Activist dedicated to trauma-informed care and social justice. Among her many accomplishments is founding the International Fuller Woman Network in 2009 to support body positivity and body liberation, reproductive justice, and sexual wellness, becoming the first Black Organizing Program Manager in the nation serving at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, and establishing Michigan’s first comprehensive Reproductive Justice Organization, The Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice. She is member of the Women in the NAACP Michigan State Conference, the Michigan Board of Medicine, and a Housing Specialist at the Ruth Ellis Center, serving unhoused LGBTQIA youth.

Marvin Cotton Jr. is a community leader and business owner, a justice reform advocate, lecturer, former candidate for Michigan State Representative, Vice President and co-founder of Organization of Exonerees, Best Selling Author of “Better, Not Broken” and a Detroit native son where he acts as a Detroit Regional Coordinator for Nation Outside. Additionally, he works with a multitude of organizations as a community engagement specialist and positive behavior mentor. Cotton’s unique journey of being a wrongfully convicted man after spending 19 years, 7 months and 12 days in prison of a natural life sentence gives him a multifaceted perspective of our system and ways to improve its impact on Michiganders. Cotton makes his living and travels the country as a Motivational Speaker in a company he started and named Better Not Broken, LLC.

Bonnie Zabel became involved with Criminal Justice Reform just over 9 years ago when her 16 yr old son was sentenced within the Adult Court System. Her acute awareness that “Justice Impacted People” extend well beyond those confined within the prison walls is grounded in this personal experience.   Her search for help and support led her to advocacy groups for whom she began volunteering. As a proponent of Change and Second Chances, she has been on Michigan’s Capitol Hill numerous times to advocate for legislation, attended Criminal Justice Reform hearings, and for much of 2023, has traveled the state partnering with local organizations to hold events to educate the public on proposed criminal justice legislation.

Elisheva T Johnson, the Founder, Director, and Queen of Emergent Justice, is a powerful and determined black woman on a mission to create a positive and lasting impact on the world. Driven by her calling, she has founded two organizations dedicated to ending mass incarceration in Michigan. Her vision is to create affirming, warm, and safe spaces for individuals who find themselves trapped in cold and un-brave circumstances. Her impact extends far beyond her local sphere. She has played a pivotal role in successful national campaigns that have provided health insurance to millions and curbed the predatory practices of Wall Street banks. Her unwavering dedication to reproductive justice in Michigan and her fearless stand against corporations supporting voter suppression have made a significant impact on the fight for equality and fairness.