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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

The Human Costs of Fines and Fees
Cartoon illustration of man walking up increasingly steep stacks of coins with handcuffs and a gavel hovering above them.

The Human Costs of Fines and Fees

Fines and fees add to the burden on people navigating the justice system, making it harder to get back on their feet. There’s a better path to safety.

Feb 4, 2025

A Constitutional Right, But Public Defense Comes with a Fee
Woman in a winter jacket stands in front of an indoor booth below the words

A Constitutional Right, But Public Defense Comes with a Fee

More than 60 years after the Supreme Court guaranteed the right to an attorney for those who can’t afford one, public defense attorneys still often come with a price. Our new report takes a closer look at the role of defender fees across the country.

Jan 22, 2025