Dee Mandiyan (they/them) has been the Senior Program Manager of the Youth Justice Board since 2018. They oversee curriculum development and implementation, partnership building, communications, and Board-led research. At the Center for Court Innovation, Dee is currently a chair of the LGBTQ Working Group, which seeks to improve the Center’s practices and relationships with LGBTQ-identifying clients and employees.
Dee earned their BA in Psychology and English from Amherst College in 2010 and their MA in Human Development and Social Intervention from New York University in 2016. Before joining the Center for Court Innovation, Dee researched the impacts of gender-specific interventions in the juvenile justice system. They also have experience running an LGBTQ student center within the CUNY system, teaching SAT/PSAT prep, and planning events for non-profits.
“Hiding in Plain Sight”: The Untapped Power of Public Defense
Sixty years after Gideon v. Wainwright, in which the Supreme Court ruled that anyone facing the threat of incarceration is entitled to a lawyer regardless of their ability to pay, the right to counsel remains an unfulfilled promise for many. What would change if everyone, no matter their income, got the minimum that all people deserve: someone with the time, resources, and training to defend them effectively in court?
The Human Cost: Five Podcast Episodes on Rikers Island
With the launch of the Lippman Commission 2.0, New York City has taken a decisive step towards closing Rikers Island. Much is at stake, first and foremost the lives of the people detained in the jail complex. In these five episodes of our New Thinking podcast, we take a closer look at the human cost of Rikers through the testimony of advocates, researchers, and—most importantly—those who have experienced the harms of Rikers Island firsthand.
A source of beauty and hope and an instrument of change, art holds a mirror up to our society, casting light on injustice while bringing a better world into view. Take a look at some artwork and murals that our teams have recently brought to life to build community, encourage healing, and make justice a reality.
