Reentry with a Purpose: Bridging the Gap through Transferable Reentry Strategies

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Christina Barone serves as Director of Court Services for the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, where she provides strategic leadership for the Tribe’s justice system and advances restorative, community-centered programming. With more than a decade of service in Tribal justice, she works at the intersection of law, culture, and community well-being, helping shape systems that are fair, accountable, and grounded in Tribal values. Her work is rooted in the understanding that justice systems do not operate in isolation — they are shaped by policy, history, and institutional structures. Christina emphasizes that while policies influence the framework of Tribal justice, we remain responsible for how we carry out that work: how we treat people, how we exercise discretion, and how we build processes that either harm or heal. She leads with the belief that accountability is not only individual, but systemic, and that meaningful reform requires both cultural grounding and institutional courage. Christina has extensive experience in grant development, program design, and cross-system collaboration, strengthening services that promote safety, fairness, and long-term stability in Tribal communities. Her work prioritizes culturally responsive approaches, alternatives to incarceration, and justice practices that restore relationships rather than deepen harm. She is Lenape and a citizen of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Indigenous Studies, further deepening her commitment to justice approaches rooted in Indigenous knowledge, sovereignty, and community responsibility.

Valarie Jones is a member of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. Val takes pride in her journey on the red road of recovery as a person with lived experience. Valarie is the Lead Success Coach/Case Manager for Port Gamble Clean & Sober Transitional Houses and a Success Coach for the Re-Entry Program. She is certified in Recovery Coaching, Trauma Informed Care, NWI Healthy Relationships, White Bison Medicine Wheel of the 12 steps, Warrior Down, Correctional Assessments for Intervention Systems, Mental Health Firs Aid USA. Val has a passion for the Second Chance Act, due to her lived experience she was also a participant in the Port Gamble Re-Entry Program. Upon completion of Re-Entry, she was given the opportunity to work in the Tribes Court Services Program starting out as an assistant. Val’s dedication and passion, provided her a role in the Reentry program as a Success Coach, allowing her to give back and become a helping hand in her community and within her Tribe.

Selina Ramirez is a dedicated mother of four, grandmother of two, and a proud Tribal Member of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. With over nine years in recovery, she currently serves as the Program Manager for the Road to New Beginnings Reentry Program with the Tribe. Selina is certified in Recovery Coaching, Trauma-Informed Care, and Restorative Circles. She draws upon her personal journey through addiction and incarceration to inspire and support others on their path to healing. Her work is rooted in compassion, advocacy, and the unwavering belief that with the right support and a strong sense of community, recovery and transformation are always possible.

Tammy Sullivan is an enrolled member of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, originally known as the Nux Sklai Yem,or the Strong People located on the northern tip of Washington state. Through lived experience and deep roots in her community, Tammy value’s her path living her life in recovery. Tammy is a Success Coach within the ReEntry program for the Port Gamble S’Klallam tribe. Also Alumni of the ReEntry program, Tammy’s compassion for others and the ability to walk beside her people with empathy, she strives to support and help navigate others through barriers and to reconnect them back within their community. Tammy holds certifications for the Recovery Coach Academy, Trauma Informed Professional Program, Correctional Assessment and Intervention System (CAIS) and Suicide Prevention, to name a few. Tammy carries great pride in her role as an advocate for her community.