Justice 101: From Punishment to Penance: The British Roots of American Justice

Pauline Abernathy is the founding Executive Director of Harvard Impact Labs and brings deep experience bridging scholarship, policy, and practice from senior roles in nonprofits, philanthropy, and government. She previously held key roles at The Institute for College Access & Success, Benefits Data Trust, The Pew Charitable Trusts, City of Philadelphia, U.S. Department of Education, and the White House. Pauline has a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School and a B.A. summa cum laude from Yale University.

Rob Beckley became High Sheriff of Somerset—a region of South West England—in March 2024 on retirement from the police. He had a distinguished 38-year policing career, working in operational and investigative roles at all ranks from PC to Chief Constable. A graduate in Law from University College Durham, Rob joined the police after having spent almost four years working in education and development in Africa. 

His police career took him from inner city London to Avon and Somerset Constabulary, then to the College of Policing, with his most recent police appointment being Advisor to the Home Secretary and leading criminal and disciplinary investigations into the Hillsborough disaster. He actively supports and is a trustee of a number of charities, some local to Somerset as well as international charities such as the Bishop Tutu Foundation and Project Trust. Rob’s theme while High Sheriff was to encourage greater participation in volunteering and community organizations. In his career, he led work across all police forces designed to increase volunteering in policing.  

Catherine Fontenot has spent her entire career in corrections, beginning as a correctional officer in a Louisiana prison perimeter tower and rising to Lt. Colonel, Chief of Corrections, for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. After earning her criminal justice degree, she joined the accreditation office at Dixon Correctional Institute, then served as Executive Staff Officer at the Louisiana State Penitentiary and became one of Louisiana’s youngest assistant wardens. She helped prisons statewide earn ACA accreditation, holds a master’s in criminology, and has taught criminal justice at the university level. She also served as a jail warden, directs a reception and diagnostic unit in Mississippi, and works as an expert witness. Featured in documentaries and Louisiana Lockdown, she received Louisiana’s top civil service award in 2014. She is a past president of the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents and the Louisiana Correctional Association, immediate past president of the Louisiana State Penitentiary Museum Board, and a fellow in the British American Project. In 2024, Ms. Fontenot traveled to Romania to speak about penitentiary reforms before the country signed a bill prioritizing reentry and community partnerships. 

Jon Murad has served in law enforcement for twenty years, holding a variety of police roles in the New York City Police Department, retiring as an assistant commissioner, and then serving as the chief of police in Burlington before becoming Commissioner. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and a master’s in public administration from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. 

Claire Shubik-Richards joined the Pennsylvania Prison Society as Executive Director in 2017. In that role, Claire has elevated the nation’s oldest human rights organization into a contemporary champion for the safety and dignity of people behind bars and their families. An attorney, Claire's career focuses on using research to advance urban policy issues. Prior to the Society, Claire served as Policy and Research Director of the MacArthur-funded National Campaign to Reform State Juvenile Justice Systems. Claire has worked for the Committee of Seventy, Pew Charitable Trusts, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Vera Institute of Justice, the New York City police oversight agency, and clerked for United States District Court Judge Stefan R. Underhill. She is a graduate of Vassar College and Boston University School of Law. 

Bryan Widenhouse was given a life without parole sentence when he was 17 years old. During his incarceration he accepted accountability for the harm he caused and chose to serve the community and better himself. Bryan has developed and managed national award-winning projects and programs. He served five terms as president of the prison’s chapter of the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce. In each of those terms they were named the #1 chapter in the nation. Within this organization he also served two years as a state level program manager, and he received the organization’s highest award, the Junior Chamber International Senatorship. In other areas of service Bryan was an Alternatives to Violence facilitator, a Red Cross instructor, and a peer counselor. He successfully authored a grant to fund a prison art class and helped to develop a victim/offender mediation program. He has obtained three vocational degrees. After the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed life without parole sentences for juveniles, Bryan was granted parole in November 2020. He served 31 years of incarceration. Shortly after his release he joined the National Life Without Parole Leadership Council with Human Rights Watch. The Council progressively works toward the abolishment of LWOP sentences and advocates for second look agendas. He has spoken to members of Congress, testified to legislators, and helped to develop a Speakers’ Bureau to use his voice and experiences to change the narrative of extreme sentences. In March 2023, Bryan joined FAMM and passionately uses his experiences to advocate for a justice system of accountability, rehabilitation, and restoration of communities and families.