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Headshot of Olivia Dana

Olivia Dana

Chief of Staff

Olivia Dana is Chief of Staff at the Center for Justice Innovation, where she serves as a strategic advisor to the CEO and a member of the Executive Team. With more than a decade of experience in criminal legal system reform, Olivia plays a central role in advancing the Center’s mission and impact through cross-organizational collaboration, strategic planning, and executive leadership.

Prior to stepping into her current role, Olivia oversaw the Center’s Supervised Release program, a supportive pretrial services programs which serves over 8,000 participants annually across Brooklyn and Staten Island. Her work focused on building an innovative pretrial model grounded in supportive services and community engagement. She also served as Deputy Director of Research-Practice Strategies, where she performed original research and provided technical assistance to jurisdictions around the country seeking to build more effective and fair local criminal justice systems. As Project Director at the Staten Island Justice Center, she developed alternative-to-incarceration programs and spearheaded community-based initiatives.

Olivia began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn’s Kings County District Attorney’s Office, where she managed all stages of criminal prosecution and advanced restorative and community-focused approaches to justice.

Her work has been recognized through numerous publications and speaking engagements on pretrial reform, restorative prosecution, and broader criminal justice reform efforts.

Olivia holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. in English from Fordham University. Olivia is a licensed attorney in New York State.

Olivia's Updates

How Restorative Justice Circles Help People Heal
Seven people from our restorative justice team sit in a circle around a tapestry with various objects and trinkets.

How Restorative Justice Circles Help People Heal

Connection and understanding are basic human needs. In the wake of harm and conflict, restorative justice circles bring those needs back into focus.

Sep 10, 2025

Standing Up for Safety from Newark to Queens
A group of people - including Red Hook Community Justice Center staff, children, and police officers - pose for a group photo with NYC Comptroller Brad Lander holding a commendation certificate.

Standing Up for Safety from Newark to Queens

For the 2025 National Night Out, our teams were on the ground delivering resources, connection, and support to their communities.

Aug 19, 2025