Staff

Executive Director Timothy J. Murray has worked as a criminal justice practitioner at the local, state and federal levels. His extensive pretrial services experience includes management and executive positions with the Washington DC and Miami-Dade County’s pretrial services systems. While in Miami he was the principal architect and administrator of the nation’s first Drug Court. He went on to serve with the US Department of Justice as first Director of the Drug Court Program Office.

Following that appointment, he held the positions of Director of Policy and Planning and Director of Program Development at the Bureau of Justice Assistance. He completed his federal service with as part of the start-up team for the Transportation Security Administration, now part of the US Department of Homeland Security.

He has provided technical assistance to numerous programs and organizations, nationally and internationally. He is a lifetime member of the National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies and is the proud recipient of the Associations most prestigious honor, the Ennis J. Olgiatti award. Email him at tim@pretrial.org.

Cherise Fanno Burdeen serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the Pretrial Justice Institute. Cherise has a Masters of Arts in Criminal Justice and began her professional career at the National Institute of Justice. After eight years there and then with Mr. Murray at the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Cherise spent two years at the Safer Foundation in Chicago where she designed and implemented strategic quality initiatives. 

Cherise returned to DC and federal service after 9/11 to work with Mr. Murray at the Transportation Security Administration. She left government in 2004 and launched her own consulting firm, supporting federal agencies, state and local governments, for- profit and non-profit institutions, as well as philanthropic foundations. Cherise focuses her work on organizational development and strategic planning, market analysis and funding strategies, and infrastructure development. Certified Pretrial Services Professional Email her at cherise@pretrial.org.

John Clark, Director, Technical Assistance, has extensive experience in conducting system assessments, in gathering and analyzing data, and presenting findings both orally and in writing. His specific areas of expertise include identifying causes of jail crowding, developing pretrial risk assessment instruments, identifying alternatives to detention, program development, and drug testing. He is the author or co-author of several documents. He has worked closely with officials in many jurisdictions to gain support for and implement recommended changes. He is the current editor of our newsletter, The Pretrial Reporter. Prior to joining PJI, he worked at the D.C. Pretrial Services Agency for eight years as an interviewer, supervision officer, and unit supervisor. Certified Pretrial Services Professional Email him at john@pretrial.org.

Ken Rose is the Senior Project Associate for the development and deployment of the Adult Pretrial Help Desk.  Ken has nearly 18 years of field experience in pretrial justice and corrections.  He recently joined PJI after an 18 month assignment to the National Institute of Corrections.  While at the National Institute of Corrections, he aided in the creation of the Orientation for New Pretrial Executives training program, the Pretrial Justice Research Roundtable (co-sponsored by the National Institute of Justice), and managed the reprioritization of the National Institute of Correction’s Pretrial Executives Network.  He had been on loan to the National Institute of Corrections from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, where he helped lead the implementation of the Virginia Pretrial Risk Assessment Instrument (VPRAI), was the project manager for the automated statewide case management system, and provided technical assistance to pretrial agencies in Virginia.  Ken has also previously served two terms on the National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies Board of Directors as the Southeast Regional Director.  Email him at ken@pretrial.org.

David Levin, Ph.D., is the Senior Research Associate. Prior to joining PJI, he was a statistician for the Bureau of Justice Statistics where he received the Assistant Attorney General's Award in 2000. After receiving his doctorate in government from American University in 2001, David spent three years as a professor of public policy and criminal justice at the University of Texas at El Paso. David's research interests include criminal recidivism and state court processing of felony defendants, as well as a variety of other areas. Email him at david@pretrial.org.

India Ochs is the Senior Project Associate for the JDAI Help Desk. Prior to joining PJI, India was the Legal Officer for the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, the Program Director of Common Senses, Inc. (under AmeriCorps VISTA), and Intern for Representative Stephen Lynch (MA--9th District). India has a deep interest in juvenile issues. For two years India was a Guardian Ad Litem representing children in foster care delivering written court reports and direct testimony based on research, interviews, case review meetings and negotiations. India has over twenty years of experience in public speaking and youth issues, including extensive work in organizing, facilitating and participating in youth leadership workshops and conferences. India has a J.D. with a Certificate in Family Law and Social Policy from Syracuse University, and a Masters in Public Affairs with a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from UNC-Greensboro. She is also a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and on the Boards of International Rights Advocates and United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication.  Email her at india@pretrial.org.

Rebecca (Becky) Mensch has been with PJI since December 2005. She has assisted on several projects including the Recidivism Study, Domestic Violence Project, and State Court Processing Statistics (SCPS) Project. Becky was named Manager of the SCPS 2006-2008 series. Becky attended Southern Illinois University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Sociology, and she is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree from Boston University. Prior to moving to DC, she was a Residential Therapist-Team Leader at a level 4 residential facility for boys aged five to thirteen suffering with behavior disorders. Becky’s research interests are mental health in the criminal justice system, juvenile justice, reentry, risk assessments, and jail overcrowding. Certified Pretrial Services Professional Email her at becky@pretrial.org.

Jessica Young, M.A., joined PJI in November 2006 as a Project Associate. Since joining she has assisted on the State Court Processing Statistics project (SCPS) as well as serving as staff liaison to the Board of Trustees. Jessica attended Lehigh University where she earned her Masters of Arts degree in Sociology. Jessica worked as an intern with Lehigh County Pretrial Services, Inc. and was a Community Fellow through Lehigh, which works with agencies actively involved in community and economic development, at Community Services for Children-Head Start. She is a member of various organizations including National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies (NAPSA) and The Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP). Certified Pretrial Services Professional Email her at jessica@pretrial.org.

Tracy Loynachan joined PJI in April 2007 as Project Associate. Prior to joining, Tracy was a research assistant at the Michigan State Supreme Court, State Court Administrative Offices, a research intern at the Iowa Department of Public Safety, and a resident advisor at the Youth Emergency Services and Shelter in Des Moines, IA. Tracy has experience in doing research in a wide range of criminal justice areas, including juvenile justice and drug court case processing. Tracy has a M.S. in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University. Email her at tracy@pretrial.org.