Update

Dear Prison Society Supporters:

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We are honored to welcome three new members to the Prison Society’s Board of Directors, each of whom bring tremendous expertise. Together, we will continue to strengthen the Society's mission, vision and impact.

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Judge Reneé Caldwell Hughes

‍"The work of the Prison Society remains vital. As America continues to over-incarcerate, we have a responsibility to ensure that conditions within our prisons are humane as these citizens will return to the community.  Humane conditions in prisons and rehabilitation are critical to ensure that the formerly incarcerated return to the community and are successful citizens."‍

Judge Reneé Caldwell Hughes has served in various executive leadership roles at the American Red Cross, The Hughes Group, and Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc. Earlier in her career she sat on the bench as a trial judge for 15 years, where she handled both complex civil and criminal cases. During that time, she also founded the City’s mental health court. Judge Hughes continues to teach Sentencing & Punishment at Villanova Law School.

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Representative Emily Kinkead ‍

‍"Our society is ultimately defined not by how we treat our strongest, but by how we treat the weakest, the neediest, the most maligned. That certainly includes those who live under the power and control of the government. The Prison Society works to ensure that we treat incarcerated individuals with dignity and I am so excited to be a part of that work."

Rep Kinkead is a staunch believer that the government's calling is to do the most good for the most people and has dedicated her life to being a strong voice for those who most need strong voices. She has represented the 20th Legislative District–Ross Township, Bellevue Borough, Avalon Borough, West View Borough, and parts of the City of Pittsburgh since 2020. Rep. Kinkead is a lawyer by training and has practiced criminal defense. She has visited jails and prisons in Pennsylvania–interviewing clients and witnessing conditions firsthand–and is acutely aware of the need to ensure that our jails and prisons are humane and respectful places.

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‍Simone Quinerly

‍"I am excited to join the board to make a difference. I want to help be a voice to some of the voiceless who have been beaten down and held down due to our broken system. I would like to advocate for policy reform and proper healthcare for incarcerated individuals"

‍‍Simone Quinerly is a Pittsburgh native and CEO of Quinerly Financial Group LLC. She has a strong commitment to narrowing the wealth gap in America, especially amongst minorities. She recently created a 501c3 called the Financial Learning Tree where she will teach financial concepts to students from grade K-College Seniors. Simone believes strongly in the importance of education and programming for currently incarcerated individuals as a pathway to a better future.

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Visit our website for full bios.

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