Meet Our Experts
For members of the news media who wish to speak with an expert resource on prison understaffing or overcrowding, contact [email protected].
Shaneva D. McReynolds, Ph.D.
President, FAMM
Dr. Shaneva D. McReynolds (Ph.D.) is the President of FAMM. She joined the organization in 2021 as the Illinois Policy Consultant, advocating for a fair and effective justice system that upholds the values of individual accountability and dignity while promoting public safety in our communities. Shaneva first connected with FAMM in 2013 during her fight to free her husband, who was facing a 235-month sentence handed down on October 20, 2005. She is honored to now work for the organization that played a role in her personal journey.
Before joining FAMM full-time, Shaneva had a distinguished 20-year career working for government contractors in the Department of Defense industry, most recently serving as the Vice President of Contracts Management. During her tenure, she earned the Certified Federal Contract Management professional designation.
Andy Potter
Founder and Executive Director,
One Voice United (OVU)
Andy Potter is a nationally recognized leader in labor and justice movements, with particular expertise in worker rights, leadership development and criminal justice. He is the founder and Executive Director of One Voice United, Director of Strategies for the Michigan Corrections Organization (MCO) and an International Executive Board Vice President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Andy began his career as a correctional officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections where he worked for nearly three decades. He became the Executive Director of MCO in 2015 and has served in union leadership roles in Michigan and nationally through SEIU. In 2019 he was elected to serve as a Vice President for SEIU’s International Executive Board. He has chaired SEIU’s national Conservative Member Engagement Committee, the national Corrections Council and was President of the Michigan State Council. Currently, as the Founder and Executive Director of the national non-profit organization, One Voice United, Andy is working to transform the criminal justice system by building bridges and unearthing common ground between all impacted stakeholders. As a strategic leader and connector in the criminal justice reform movement, Andy sits on several boards or advisory councils for other leading national organizations, including the Urban Institute Advisory Board for Prison Research and Innovation Initiative.
Andy has been published in the New York Times, The Marshall Project, The Crime Report, The Detroit Free Press, and is featured in a number of podcasts. Andy serves as a guest lecturer for “Bridging the Gap: Dialogue across Difference” and has spoken at numerous conferences hosted by the Center on Media, Crime and Justice and John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.
Andy has been published in the New York Times, The Marshall Project, The Crime Report, The Detroit Free Press, and is featured in a number of podcasts. Andy serves as a guest lecturer for “Bridging the Gap: Dialogue across Difference” and has spoken at numerous conferences hosted by the Center on Media, Crime and Justice and John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.
Matthew Charles
State Legislative Affairs Manager, FAMM, and first beneficiary of the First Step Act
Matthew Charles was sentenced in 1996 to a thirty-five year federal sentence for nonviolent offenses. His sentence length was the result of an unjust disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. After serving twenty-two years on that sentence, he became the first beneficiary of the First Step Act signed into law in 2018. Matthew has been an advocate for criminal justice reform since his release, speaking with the president and nationally with legislators, governors, and college students about the need for sentencing and prison reforms and the harms of mass incarceration in America. Matthew has testified several times before the U.S. Senate and several state legislatures. Matthew received the Excellency in Advocacy Award from the Coalition for Public Safety.
Scott Semple
Former Commissioner,
Connecticut Department of Corrections
Scott first joined the Connecticut Department of Correction as a front line Correction Officer in 1988 at the high security Cheshire Correctional Institution. After serving the agency in numerous administrative capacities, Scott was appointed commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Correction in March 2015. As commissioner, Scott successfully implemented several performance based and progressive correctional practices designed to support both staff and incarcerated people. Most notably, they include the Emerging Adult Units known as the TRUE Unit (located in Cheshire) and the WORTH Unit (located in Niantic). He has also repurposed an existing correctional facility and other specific housing units for specialized populations to provide a therapeutic environment designed to support community reintegration. Scott has implemented numerous agency-wide staff wellness initiatives to support, respond and improve policies evolving around the complex and unique needs associated with the health and welfare of correctional professionals and their families. Scott retired from the Connecticut Department of Correction in January 2019 and now consults on various criminal justice and correctional related endeavors.
