Adelle Fontanet-Torres

Adelle Fontanet-Torres is the director of the Center’s Tribal Justice team. She provides on-site and long-distance training and technical assistance to tribes seeking to enhance their justice systems around the country. Ms. Fontanet works with tribal justice systems to design and implement problem-solving strategies such as the use of alternatives to incarceration, restorative justice practices, diversion and deflection programs, and risk-need tools. She has also lead justice system needs assessments and strategic planning projects with numerous tribes, including child welfare focused needs assessments and healing to wellness court assessments. In addition to her work with the Tribal Justice Exchange, Ms. Fontanet co-chairs the Center’s racial and ethnic disparities (RED) technical assistance committee. This committee works to assist the Center’s technical assistance teams in addressing disparities reductions as part of its technical assistance work. Prior to working in technical assistance, she participated in a fellowship with the Center where she worked with Bronx Community Solutions to provide alternatives to incarceration to low-level misdemeanor adult and youth defendants in Bronx Criminal Court. Additionally, she was one of the lead planners of the Red Hook Peacemaking Program where she served as a peacemaker for disputes referred from the court system and other partner agencies. Ms. Fontanet has a J.D from Columbia Law School, where she participated in the school’s peacemaking clinic, and has a dual bachelor’s degree in English and Anthropology from the University of Florida. She is a licensed attorney in the state of Florida.