Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing: A New Tool to Strengthen Reentry

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Puja Bhatia is the Senior National Attorney at For The People, leading Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing expansion efforts with prosecutorial offices across the country and strategizing on the organization’s national policy work. Prior to joining For The People, Puja spent over five years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia. She served as a Senior AUSA in the Homicide Section of the office, prosecuting homicide cases in D.C. Superior Court, as well as investigating and prosecuting individuals in United States District Court who participated in the January 6th Capitol Riot. Previously, Puja was an associate at the law firm of Nossaman LLP as a member of the Public Policy and Litigation practice groups. She led clients through a wide array of civil litigation and government relations matters, providing guidance on complex campaign finance, gift giving, and lobbying compliance matters for clients interacting with public officials and employees on a variety of levels, as well as representing clients through state and federal ethics investigations. She has also defended clients in a range of white collar criminal matters, including representing clients on export regulations charges, drug trafficking prosecutions, and the Department of Justice’s Foreign Agents Registration Act investigations.

Courtney Evans is a life skills educator with 5+ years of experience helping youth and adults navigate pivotal life transitions such as finding employment or applying to college. She is motivated by her passion for helping others and being a beacon light in her community. Courtney is a proud graduate of the University of New Orleans where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She is the founder of The Arts Institute where she teaches dance to young ladies, ages 6-18. She also serves as the dance ministry leader at her local church. For the past 3 years, Courtney has served as the Pathway to Employment Instructor at Center for Employment Opportunities (New Orleans) where she enjoys recruiting participants for the program, facilitating orientation and assisting participants with applying for SNAP. Courtney's goal is to earn her Masters in Human Resources and Workforce Development from Louisiana State University and continue to engage in work that creates access and safe spaces for all.

May Lim is the National Policy Manager at For The People. Based in Washington, D.C., she collaborates with and provides technical support to prosecutors, policymakers, community organizations, and other criminal justice system stakeholders across the country working to advance Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing. May has overseen For The People’s national expansion of PIR since 2020 and is the co-author of the organization’s landmark 2021 Report and 2022 National Guide. May also manages For The People's projects and partnerships around data and technology innovations. Her work in policy consulting, data and policy analysis, and research have served various non-profit and governmental entities, including the California Governor's Office. Prior to working at For The People, May worked for elected offices in Los Angeles County and King County, Washington. Her extensive community experience has led her to work on topics involving higher education programs in prisons and challenges that incarcerated populations may face at the intersection of criminal and immigration law. May holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Washington.

Jill Pasquarella is LPP’s Legal Director. Ms. Pasquarella is a state and national leader on ending juvenile life without parole and other long sentences for youth, having led efforts in Louisiana to provide release mechanisms for children serving extreme sentences. Prior to joining LPP, Ms. Pasquarella was the Director of the Campaign to End Extreme Sentences for Youth at the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights and a Supervising Attorney at the Orleans Public Defenders. She is the recipient of the Lucy McGough Juvenile Justice Award from the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys for her work ending life sentences for children. Ms. Pasquarella graduated cum laude from Georgetown Law where she was a Public Interest Law Scholar. Prior to her legal career, Ms. Pasquarella was a human rights and humanitarian aid professional working in Uganda and Nicaragua. Ms. Pasquarella received awards for her international and academic work from Barnard College of Columbia University where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Religion and Human Rights.