Associate Director for Diversion and Prevention, Juvenile Justice Strategy Group
Burgundi Allison is the associate director for diversion and prevention with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and part of the leadership team of its Juvenile Justice Strategy Group and Center for Systems Innovation. Allison is focused on community- and school-centered strategies aimed at keeping young people away from formal involvement with the legal system, including resolving conflict through restorative and healing practices. Her approach to ensuring that all young people can thrive, even when they make mistakes, is explicit about race to counterbalance generations of structural racism and overrepresentation of youth of color in the legal system.
Allison joined the Foundation in 2018 to lead investments in youth organizing and policy in Baltimore City, as well as community safety nationally. This built upon her 20 years of experience leading nonprofit and government programs in youth development, education, workforce development and housing, including directing the Youth Opportunity (YO!) program with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Allison received her master’s degree in nonprofit management from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and bachelor’s degree in political science from Morgan State University.