Our Vision, Mission, and Values
PAM has developed the following
to guide their pretrial improvement work:
Vision
A system that promotes fairness and equity throughout the pretrial justice system, and balances concern for community safety, concern for victims, and meeting the needs of the justice-involved person.
Mission
To ensure the fair administration of pretrial justice, enhance community safety, and reduce the likelihood of failure to appear or pretrial rearrest by developing a continuum of evidence-informed pretrial justice options.
Values
Compassion: A system that has compassion for victims, for defendants, and for the concerns and values of the community.
Transparency and clarity: A written, structured process that can be understood by affected individuals and members of the public.
Efficiency: A process that balances the necessity of speedy decisions with deliberate consideration of risks and mitigating factors.
Liberty: Pretrial liberty is the norm and incarceration is the exception.
What is the Pretrial Alliance of
Montgomery, AL?
In 2019, Montgomery County was selected as a Research-Action Site to participate in the Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research (APPR) initiative. This led to the formation of the Pretrial Alliance of Montgomery, Alabama (PAM). PAM has brought together stakeholders from across Montgomery County who are working—together–to identify how we can improve our pretrial system in ways that maximize court appearance and pretrial release while maintaining community safety and working to eliminate disparities in pretrial policies and practices.
APPR Montgomery Policy Team
15th Judicial Circuit (Lead Agency)
- Johnny Hardwick, Presiding Circuit Judge
- Gina Ishman, Circuit Clerk
15th Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defenders
- Aylia McKee, Chief Public Defender
- Trina Williams, Deputy Public Defender
- Deborah Neal, Reentry Specialist
Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice
- Leah Nelson, Research Director
- Evan Milligan, Executive Director
- Lois G. Russell, Vice President/Marketing & Strategic Communications
- Kenneth Mullinax Jr., Director of Media Relations/Spokesman
Auburn University at Montgomery
- Breuna Baine, Associate Professor
- Dr. Jay C. Coleman
- Alicia D’Addario, Senior Attorney
Metropolitan United Methodist Church
- Richard Williams, Lead Pastor
- Ashley Edwards, Volunteer Organizer
Montgomery County Community Corrections
- Phil Bryant, Director
Montgomery County District Court
- Monet Gaines, District Judge
- Pamela R. Higgins, District Judge
- Tiffany B. McCord, District Judge
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office
- Sonja Pritchett, Colonel, Jail Administrator
Montgomery Pride United – The Bayard Rustin Community Center
- Meta Ellis
- Zedrick L. Dean, Chief of Staff
- Micah West, Senior Attorney
APPR Montgomery Training and Technical Assistance Team
Center for Effective Public Policy and Advancing Pretrial Policy & Research
- Kelvin L. Banks, Senior Manager
- Holly Ziemer, Communications Director
- John Speir
- Sharon Johnson
- Jennifer Tallon
- Lisa Vavonese, Esq.