Courtney Bryan has dedicated her career to supporting practical, evidence-based solutions that make communities safe, reduce the harms of justice system involvement, and promote equity and racial justice. In New York and nationally, she has worked with communities, court systems, and the public and private sectors to develop ground-breaking alternatives to incarceration, elevate the voices of those impacted by the justice system, and transform systems to build safety, strengthen communities, and increase fairness, transparency, and accountability.

As CEO of the Center for Justice Innovation since 2020, she has built on the Center’s three-decade track record to create one of the nation’s largest and most successful criminal justice reform organizations. During her tenure, the Center’s staff has expanded by more than 50 percent to about 1,000 employees who work with communities to identify local challenges; create and operate innovative programs to address those challenges; conduct field-leading research to understand issues, opportunities, and solutions; and share promising practices with justice systems, governments, and communities to seed justice across the country and beyond. Under her leadership, the Center has expanded its focus on Supervised Release, eviction-prevention initiatives, and community-led public safety initiatives, while creating new supports for staff to promote professional development, enhance well-being, and increase diversity.

Bryan’s commitment to criminal justice reform and community change was forged shortly after college when she worked at the Center (then called the Center for Court Innovation) as a Program Associate, where she learned firsthand about the importance of engaging communities in implementing lasting reforms. After graduating from Temple University School of Law, Bryan worked as a Public Defender for the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn and as a Staff Attorney at the National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women in Philadelphia. She returned to the Center in 2008 to serve as Director of the Midtown Community Court. Prior to returning to run the Center in 2020, Bryan served as an executive at the JP Morgan Chase & Co. Foundation, which sought inclusive economic growth in communities worldwide by strengthening workforce systems, revitalizing neighborhoods, growing small businesses, and improving the financial health of individuals. At the foundation, she helped launch the Second Chance Opportunities initiative to support greater economic prospects for people with criminal convictions. Bryan is a member of the Council on Criminal Justice and a Commissioner on the Independent Rikers Commission.