Gratitude, Growth, and New Horizons

Hello Pretrial Community,

I have some bittersweet news to share. After ten years at PJI, I will be stepping away from my executive role in early July.

As many of you know, I began my career in public health and always knew I would circle back someday. Over the past few years, as I’ve seen the key role that public health plays in nurturing safe and healthy communities, I realized that “someday” had arrived. So I dusted off my public health degree and went back to school, earning a graduate certificate in environmental justice at the University of Colorado. I owe big thanks to my PJI family (and my own family!) for their support and grace during the long days and nights as I pursued this goal.

Starting this summer, I will be shifting my professional focus to environmental health and justice—and I hope to contribute to health equity in a way that ultimately leads to fewer people being involved in the criminal legal system.

Fortunately, I am leaving PJI in fabulous hands.

Our board chair, Guisela Marroquín, is stepping into an interim Executive Director role, bringing her unique experience in criminal justice programming, advocacy, and philanthropy. Guisela will be partnering with our highly skilled and values-driven staff to chart a path forward that continues to center Local Antiracist Pretrial Justice. I’m excited to see how this talented team continues to deepen and expand PJI’s work.

It has been a privilege to be part of the criminal legal reform community over the past 20 years—and to collaborate with so many passionate colleagues in the field. I look forward to new ways our paths might cross in the future, as we continue the fight for equity and community wellness!

With deepest gratitude,

Meghan Guevara