Cathleen McLaughlin

Cathleen’s passion is serving and advocating for individuals reentering the community after incarceration, as well as the homeless and underserved. She has worked in law and in advocacy throughout the past 35 years.  This passion came from Cathleen’s own lived experience in the criminal justice system in 2006-2007. That experience refocused Cathleen’s interest in law from civil to criminal justice reform, through community-building, collaboration, and compassion.

In 2013 Cathleen was given the opportunity to help create a community-based reentry center.  In 2014, she became the Director of the Partners Reentry Center (PRC), a walk-in center in Anchorage, Alaska that provides timely pre- and post-release reentry services to vulnerable individuals who would otherwise be released to homelessness. To date the Partners Reentry Center has served over 8,500 reentrants with the goal of providing cost-effective, reentrant-centered services in a respectful and positive way.  Cathleen’s experiences at PRC inspired her to create Restorative & Reentry Services, LLC (RRS). RRS provides guidance and support to communities, governmental agencies, and organizations around the United States that are inspired to create their own community-based reentry and criminal justice programs.

Cathleen is married and resides in Alaska.  She has three grown children and is an active member of several boards and community organizations.  Her extracurricular activities include performing music, playing hockey, skiing, hiking and biking.