Mary Fox is the newly appointed Death Penalty Abolition Project Manager for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri. Fox retired in June 2025 as the Director of the Missouri State Public Defender, the statewide organization that provides legal representation to the poor facing state criminal charges. Fox’s forty-year legal career focused on service to the…
Ruth Friedman has dedicated her career to representing men and women on the nation’s death rows, most recently as the founding director of the Federal Capital Habeas Project. Under her leadership, the Project became a national center for policy, strategic advocacy and direct representation in post-conviction proceedings for individuals on federal death row. Ruth previously represented…
Ryan Scott is a sophomore at the Catholic University of America. He is majoring in Politics and is planning on pursuing a philosophy and history minor. Ryan has been strongly interested in restorative justice since his conversion to Catholicism, and is passionate about proposing legislation to implement restorative justice within the United States legal system.
Diana Lopez is a senior at The Catholic University of America. She is majoring in Criminology and Psychology and will be commissioning as a second lieutenant in the Army. Diana is incredibly eager to learn more about restorative justice and how as a community we can end the death penalty, along with helping in the…
Reilly Gaitens is a senior at the Catholic University of America. She is studying Psychology with a minor in Criminology. Growing up in Florida, Reilly has developed a passionate stance against the death penalty and is grateful for the opportunity at CMN to channel that passion into abolition work and to promote restorative justice.
Bridget is from Baltimore, Maryland and is a Junior at Loyola University Maryland studying Political Science and Communications. Her favorite part about being an intern is learning about advocacy and nonprofits for such a unique cause. After graduation, she hopes to do a year of service with Jesuit Volunteer Corp!
Patricia Wright is a passionate advocate for justice and a senior at Marquette University, where she is pursuing a degree in Communication Studies and Criminology and Law Studies. Patricia’s interest in restorative justice stems from her belief in healing, reconciliation, and community building, rather than one of punishment and retribution. This is Patricia’s second year…
Bernard E. “Ned” Shlesinger III was born December 17, 1960 in Washington, D.C. A graduate of Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, VA, he received a bachelor of science degree in agricultural engineering from Virginia Tech in 1983. After college, he was commissioned as an officer in the U. S. Air Force and became a…
Elizabeth Bruenig is a staff writer at The Atlantic. She was previously an opinion writer for The New York Times and The Washington Post, where she was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. She has also been a staff writer at The New Republic and a contributor to the Left, Right &…
Therapist: Brenda Glass, MSSA, LISW-S, is the founder and executive director of the Brenda Glass Multipurpose Trauma Center. Ms. Glass specializes in trauma, cultural inclusivity, and innovative recovery practices for healing and thriving after trauma from violent crimes. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who earned her Master of Science in Social Administration…
Sheila M. McMahon, Ph.D., M.Div., MSW, LCSW (she/her) is currently the Visiting Scholar at the Center for Restorative Justice, University of San Diego. She co-chairs the Restorative Justice Network of Catholic Campuses (RJNCC), which assists in implementation of restorative practices on member campuses. Her research and practice interests center on campus-based and community-level interventions, such…
Elizabeth Bounds’ work and commitments focus on moral and theological responses to conflict and violence, whether in the U.S. prison system or ordinary communal or congregational life. She is always engaging questions of restorative justice and the U.S. criminal justice system, peacebuilding and conflict transformation, working with a variety of participatory and practical methods. She…