Denise joined JMI in June 2024 as a Program Manager. She has extensive experience in program development and implementation, working with jurisdictions across the country to shape policy and practice within the criminal justice system. Prior to joining JMI, Denise served as Associate Director of the Redefining Public Safety team at the Vera Institute of Justice where she advanced innovative, community-centered public safety approaches. Denise also served as the Model Use of Force Project Leader at Stanford University’s Center for Racial Justice where she worked with law enforcement and policy experts, leading the process to that led to the final policy. In addition to her work at Stanford, Denise was the Project Director of the Safety and Justice Challenge in the New Orleans Mayor’s Office. In this role, she translated the city’s goals to manage the jail population and reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system into concrete policy changes. Her work, in collaboration with criminal justice agencies, had a profound impact, resulting in a reduction of the jail population in New Orleans by over 50 percent. Denise also worked with law enforcement agencies to develop policies, practices and implementation tools to ensure compliance with federal consent decrees.

Denise holds a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola University New Orleans and a J.D. from Marquette University Law School.