Avalon Betts-Gaston, Executive Director
Avalon Betts-Gaston is a Chicago native, non-licensed attorney, ordained minister, and passionate advocate to dismantle, change and build a legal system focused on human justice and harm reduction, not just punishment. Avalon made her public debut as an advocate at a young age when she convinced her fellow Congressional pages to protest apartheid outside of the South African embassy in Washington, D.C. This passion against various societal injustices continued throughout her life and was extra-charged and focused on the criminal legal system after she was wrongfully convicted in 2015. Avalon is committed to using this experience to educate the public writ large about the criminal punishment system.
Avalon received her bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and her JD from John Marshall Law School in Chicago. The first known formerly incarcerated Board Chairperson for Community Renewal Society, a 140-year-old faith-based organization that works with people and communities to address racism and poverty, Avalon is also on the FreeHer Campaign Advisory Council, a board member of Chicago Votes, a 2023 Soros Justice Fellow, a 2022 JLUSA Leading with Conviction Fellow, currently serves on multiple boards for local and national organizations, and volunteers with anti-carceral system advocacy groups locally, statewide, and nationally.