Organizer & Abolitionist
Alisha is a transgender womxn and formerly incarcerated resident who is living, working, playing, loving, and fighting for change in the Mid-Hudson Valley. After spending ten years behind bars, she has first hand knowledge of the cycles of trauma that are perpetuated by incarceration. She channels her trauma and passion into a transformative practice that advances the abolitionist cause in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Alisha is a leader in advocacy, research, and civic engagement in her role as director for the Queers for Justice Committee at the Newburgh LGBTQ+ Center. In her work to promote disinvestment from prisons, Alisha has taken on the position of president at the Alternative to Violence Project. AVP brings conflict resolution workshops to prisons and the community, drawing from the interpersonal transformative power each individual has within themselves. When Alisha is not busy combatting the carceral system, she cooks, plays video games, binge-watches TV shows, and spends time strengthening her relationships with her loved ones.