Advancing Justice in a Shifting Landscape featuring Jocelyn Fontaine, Nicole D. Porter, Randall McNeil, and moderated by Ashley Nellis

Moderator

Ashley Nellis (American University)

Dr. Ashley Nellis spent nearly 17 years at The Sentencing Project, leading research on life and extreme sentences. A nationally recognized scholar on punishment in the U.S. legal system, her widely cited work informs policymakers, advocates, and the public. She has authored two books, eight book chapters, and numerous scholarly articles, frequently contributing to media and presenting at academic and professional forums. Dr. Nellis is an AU alum (Ph.D., 2007), and will join the Justice, Law & Criminology Department as an Assistant Professor in Fall 2025. She currently teaches Introduction to Criminology and Corrections in America.

Panelists:

Jocelyn Fontaine (Urban Institute)

Jocelyn Fontaine is vice president for strategic program development at the Urban Institute. She works with the executive office, development office, and the research and program divisions to develop strategies and build support for Urban’s research and policy initiatives. She is also a senior fellow of justice policy. She has significant experience as an executive leader, strategist, and researcher, and she is committed to using research to improve the safety and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Before joining Urban in this new capacity, Fontaine was vice president for criminal justice research at Arnold Ventures. She led high-impact investment strategies and oversaw the development of research agendas and research projects on community safety, policing, pretrial justice, and corrections that use rigorous social science methods to advance justice reform and racial equity. Fontaine is also the inaugural executive director of the Black and Brown Collective for Community Solutions to Gun Violence, an organization of scholars committed to supporting community-driven solutions to gun violence prevention and equitable policy and practice change. Fontaine previously worked at the Urban Institute leading multimethod research and evaluation projects on gun violence and community safety initiatives, policing reforms, and issues related to corrections and reentry. She has also held roles at the Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Institute of Justice. Fontaine received her bachelor’s degree in sociology and criminology from Villanova University and her doctoral degree in justice and public policy from American University.

Nicole D. Porter (The Sentencing Project)

Named a “New Civil Rights Leader” by Essence Magazine for her work to challenge mass incarceration, Nicole D. Porter manages The Sentencing Project’s state and local advocacy efforts on sentencing reform, voting rights, and confronting racial disparities in the criminal legal system. Since joining The Sentencing Project in 2009, Porter’s advocacy and findings have supported criminal legal reforms in several states including Kentucky, Maryland Missouri, California, Texas and the District of Columbia. Porter’s areas of expertise include research and grassroots support around challenging racial disparities, felony disenfranchisement, in addition to prison closures and prison reuse. Her research has been cited in several major media outlets including Salon and the Washington Post, and she has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and on National Public Radio and MSNBC. Porter has also been invited to speak on state sentencing policy, collateral consequences, and racial disparity to various audiences including the League of Women Voters, NAACP, and the United Methodist Women’s Assembly and on Capitol Hill. She has authored reports highlighting ballot access for people detained in jails, state prison closures and declining prison populations, in addition to articles on the collateral impacts of justice involvement on communities of color and how current social movements are challenging mass incarceration. Porter is the former director of the Texas ACLU’s Prison & Jail Accountability Project (PJAP) where she advocated in the Texas legislature to promote felony enfranchisement reforms, eliminate prison rape, and improve prison medical care. Porter received her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin. Her master’s thesis addressed exploring self employment among formerly incarcerated African Americans. She also studied African politics at the University of Ghana, West Africa.

Randall McNeil (Arnold Ventures)

Randall McNeil contributes to proposal development, project management, strategy development, community outreach, and engagement efforts as part of Arnold Ventures' Criminal Justice Policy Team. He supports three portfolios: Courts, Community Safety, and Post-Conviction. Drawing from his lived experience of incarceration and reintegration, Randall uses his insights to help shape policy strategies that drive meaningful change. Before joining Arnold Ventures, Randall worked as a Factory Clerk and Quality Assurance Clerk at Unicor Sign Factory in Cumberland, Maryland, where he ensured on-time delivery, managed customer service issues, and improved product quality. Randall was incarcerated for over 24 years and was released under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA). Through the BreakFree-Ed fellowship, he received training and placement at Arnold Ventures. Having witnessed firsthand the consequences of excessive incarceration—particularly its disproportionate impact on Black men—Randall is committed to transforming the criminal justice system. He is an advocate who leverages his experience to power change, working to improve prison conditions, reentry support, and broader systemic reforms.