JustLeadershipUSA President/CEO DeAnna Hoskins First Formerly Incarcerated Person to Serve on the Board of the American Probation and Parole Association

JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA) is proud to announce that President/CEO DeAnna R. Hoskins has officially been sworn in as an At-Large Board Member of the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA).

This historic appointment makes Hoskins the first formerly incarcerated person to serve in this national leadership role, marking a transformational moment for the future of community supervision, reentry, and justice system reform.

“This seat isn’t just about representation, it’s about transformation. I’m stepping into this role not to fit in, but to redesign how we see justice, opportunity, and human potential. We are not managing risks. We are unlocking power.” —DeAnna R. Hoskins

Their presence at the table is long overdue.

“For the first time in APPA’s history, we have a justice-impacted individual serving as a board member. That milestone is not just symbolic, it is transformational. Because the future of our work must be informed not only by those who supervise, but also by those who have experienced the criminal justice system firsthand. Their voice is vital, their insight is powerful, and their presence at the table is long overdue.” —Marcus Hodges, incoming President of APPA

With over 25 years of experience as a social worker, criminal justice administrator, and national policy advisor, Hoskins brings both lived experience and executive leadership to a board historically dominated by practitioners without direct justice system contact. Her presence ensures the voice of directly impacted communities shapes the systems that affect them most.

This appointment reinforces JLUSA’s commitment to empowering and centering the voices of leaders directly impacted by incarceration to drive policy and systemic change—not just as advocates, but as decision-makers at the highest levels.

ABOUT JLUSA
JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA) is one of the nation’s only not-for-profit criminal justice reform organizations that is both founded by and led by formerly incarcerated people. Learn more at jlusa.org.