CJCJ is pleased to announce that Communications and Policy Analyst, Renee Menart, has been selected as a recipient of the 2019 – 2020 Bay Area Inspire Award. The award is given in recognition of Renee’s work as a leading social innovator who is dedicated to bettering her community.
As an awardee, Renee will complete a project titled UnTold Stories: Unity through Teaching, which blends her passion for social justice with her creative talents. Throughout the year, Renee will write a children’s book for young people grappling with the incarceration of a loved one. Her project will be rooted in the experiences of real families and serve as a resource to communities affected by mass incarceration. Renee plans to work closely with CJCJ’s direct service staff and draw upon her varied experience in early childhood education and youth justice reform to produce a book that can comfort and guide young children during a difficult time in their lives.
Renee has served as an integral member of CJCJ’s Communications and Policy team since 2017 where she works to bring accountability to state correctional agencies, amplify the power of justice-involved individuals, and campaign for reinvesting state funds into communities. CJCJ congratulates Renee on this achievement and thanks her for the work she does every day on behalf of youth and families.