Faiza Chappell is counsel in the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, where she works on criminal justice system reform and issues related to incarceration and reentry.
Prior to joining the Brennan Center, Chappell served as a senior program associate with the Vera Institute of Justice’s Opening Doors to Housing initiative, where she worked on housing policy and advocacy for people with conviction histories. Previously, she worked with Vera’s Unlocking Potential initiative, providing technical assistance to colleges and state corrections agencies on postsecondary education in prison and supporting the implementation of Pell Restoration.
Before joining Vera, Chappell served as a postgraduate legal fellow with the National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project and as an assistant public defender at the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office in Rochester, New York. During law school, she worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.
Chappell holds a BA in political science from Nazareth University and a JD from American University Washington College of Law.