Panel Track: Racial Justice Townhall

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Corinne Briscoe currently serves as the Director of Probation and Court Services of the Macoupin/Greene/Scott Probation District in the 7th Illinois Judicial Circuit. Corinne oversees a team of eight probation officers with active caseloads and two administrative staff members, across three offices. Within her district, she acts as the coordinator of two active drug courts and serves as a Regional Representative for the American Probation and Parole Association. As a Regional Representative, Corinne works to strengthen the connection between probation and parole in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio to national initiatives and cutting-edge practices. She is active in the Illinois Probation and Court Services Association, previously serving a four-year term as the Program Co-Chair managing conference programming and logistics. Corinne began her career as an Adult Probation Officer in Morgan County, Illinois, and then as a Field Coordinator with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. She is a trainer in Motivational Interviewing, Thinking for a Change, the Level of Service Inventory-Revised, and Core Correctional Practices. She previously trained Adult and Juvenile Basic Training through the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts for approximately ten years. Corinne has been trained by the National Institute of Corrections in the Orientation for New Pretrial Executives and by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals in the Discipline Specific Training for Coordinators. When Corinne is not working in criminal justice, she enjoys spending time with her husband and four children.

Mark Dyea is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna and Disabled Veteran. Mark is the Tribal Grants Manager for the American Probation and Parole Association where he collaborates with Tribes to secure training and technical assistance in program planning, implementation, and enhancement. Mark has 17 years of Community Supervision and Treatment Court experience. Mark worked for the Pueblo of Laguna’s Probation & Parole Services for over ten years (2004-2015) as a Probation Officer, Wellness Court Coordinator, and Program Manager. During his time with Laguna’s Probation & Parole Services Mark co-founded the Pueblo’s Community Wellness Court and served as its Co-Coordinator from 2007 to 2014. Mark has also worked as a Case Manager for the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Specialty Courts and Coordinator for the Pueblo of San Felipe Healing to Wellness Court. Mark served as a Sr. Consultant for the NADCP Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Planning Initiative and as faculty for TLPI. As a consultant Mark has worked with numerous jurisdictions across the country to develop and enhance Treatment Courts.

Carmen Z. Gomez, PhD is a Criminal Justice and Judicial professional and DEIA advocate with over 26 years of experience. She currently serves as a Regional Supervisor for the Massachusetts Probation Service. She holds a PhD in Philosophy with a concentration in Law, Policy, and Society, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice, and master’s level certificates in Mediation and Hostage Negotiation, Domestic Violence, CJ Management, and Behavioral Analysis. She has served as an adjunct professor at several colleges and universities, and as a consultant to local, state, and federal entities providing expertise in the areas of sex crimes, and serial killings. She serves as an APPA Leadership Institute Coordinator. She also serves in the Board of Directors of the National Association of Probation Executive, Enroot, Cambridge Community Services, and the Governor’s Criminal Record Review Board. She is a current member of the American Probation and Parole Association and the Co-Founder and Member of the Foundation for Non-Violent Action. She organized the Massachusetts Trial Court’s first annual Women’s History Month Celebration in 2021 and has worked with an impressive committee of women to plan subsequent celebrations. A continuation of her dedication to advancing women’s rights and securing recognition for their contributions. She is the recipient of the 2020 Amplify Latinx Latina Leader for the category of Government, and Public Policy, 2019 Martin Luther King Spirit Award, 2018 Mutual of America Community Partnership – Rosie’s Place, 2017 Mutual of America – United States Mint Liberty Coin, 2017 Excellence Award Massachusetts Trial Court, 2017 Women of Distinction, 2015 One of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in Massachusetts, 2012 Excellence Award Massachusetts Trial Court, and Distinguished Alumna in Liberal Arts, Humanity, and Education. She has devoted most of her life to public service, civil rights, wellness, leadership, and community engagement. She is committed to creating and supporting systems that embrace diversity, equality, inclusion, accessibility, and a fair and just legal system.

Thomas Gregory is the Director of Probation and Court Services for Vermilion County, Illinois. In this role, Tom works with a great group of probation professionals working to change lives and protect communities within his county as well as the State of Illinois as a whole. Tom’s career spans over twenty-one years working in probation in the State of Illinois. He has experience implementing a variety of programs including problem solving courts, evidence based practices and high risk probation, along with developing policies and procedures for both adult and juvenile probation. Tom began his career in 1997 as an Adult Probation Officer. He has worked as an Intensive Probation Officer, Adult Supervisor and has spent the last 12 years as the Director of Probation and Court Services in Vermilion County, IL. Tom is currently serving his first term as the Region 9, Illinois, Representative for the American Probation and Parole Association and is a graduate of APPA’s 2016 Leadership Institute. He is a past President of the Illinois Probation and Court Services Association (IPCSA) and is currently the Legislative Co-Chair for IPCSA. In that capacity he has spoken before the Illinois House and Senate Appropriations Committees regarding funding for Illinois Probation and Court Services. In 2012, Tom was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court Probation Policy Board by then Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride.

Alisha S. James is a criminal justice and community corrections expert, leader in criminal justice reform, former law enforcement supervisor and officer, entrepreneur, and international speaker. With nearly two decades of experience, Alisha is a sought-after expert on global and granular issues in corrections and criminal justice reform and her approach to tackling these issues with ingenuity and innovation. Alisha is a one-of-a-kind leader who is reimagining the criminal justice system and working to transform the experience within and beyond it. Further, she is actively developing tangible solutions to make that vision a reality.

MAGDALENA MORALES-AINA, LPC-S, LPCC | Director, El Paso County Community Supervision and Corrections Department (El Paso County CSCD). Ms. Morales-Aina has over 26 years of professional experience as a criminal justice practitioner and licensed therapist working with justice-involved individuals in El Paso, Texas.  She has extensive program development and training experience in the procedures of Best Practices in Community Supervision, Jail Diversion, Competency Restoration, and Civil & Forensic Commitments. She is an experienced public speaker and presenter in areas of Cultural Competence, Equity & Inclusion, Substance Use Disorders, Behavioral Health, Trauma Informed Care, Specialty Courts, and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in justice settings. Ms. Morales-Aina was appointed as the Director of the El Paso County Community Supervision & Corrections Department in 2011. As Director, she reports directly to judges trying criminal cases in El Paso County, Hudspeth County, and Culberson County where she has the overall responsibility for the administration, management, and supervision of operations. Ms. Morales-Aina serves on numerous multidisciplinary committees at local, state, and national level. She served on Board of Directors for Texas Probation Association and is Co-Chair of the Health and Wellness Committee for American Probation and Parole Association (APPA). She is a faculty member of National Association Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), National Drug Court Institute, and Senior Consultant for SAMHSA’s GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation. She is certified to provide train-the-trainer workshops for PRA’s How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses for Criminal Justice Professionals and a facilitator for Communities of Practice (COP).

Charles Robinson is the Deputy Chief for the Probation and Pretrial Services Office, Administrative Office of the United States Courts Charles Robinson is the Deputy Chief of the Probation & Pretrial Services Office of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. Over the course of more than 20 years, he has worked in both county and federal probation, including supervising a caseload of community supervision clients, training officers and developing systems to support successful implementation of risk instruments, and serving as a chief probation officer. Charles has co-authored several widely used client and officer training programs for community and custodial correctional settings. Among these programs are Decision Points, an open-group cognitive-behavioral program that teaches clients to observe and interrupt thinking that leads to trouble; and Effective Practices in Correctional Settings (EPICS) II, a training program for criminal justice professionals based on behavioral change strategies found to be effective with criminal justice clients. He has extensive experience as a consultant training agency leaders and staff in juvenile and adult correctional settings. He has helped leaders and agencies in the U.S. and other countries better align their community supervision systems with practices proven to exert a positive effect on clients and their communities. Charles has also co-authored several articles that contribute to the research literature supporting effective practices in community supervision.