The REFORM Alliance Speaker Series features some of the leading thinkers, organizers, and activists in the criminal justice field. Through these conversations, we stay on the cutting edge of research, policy, and lived experience—especially around probation, parole, and the broader landscape of supervision reform. The Speaker Series is also an opportunity for members of the community to join us, listen, and find common cause with people who share a passion for creating change.

This month we’re hosting Andy Potter for REFORM’s Speaker Series in New York City. Andy’s journey from corrections officer to national labor leadership gives him a rare vantage point on the workforce crisis that is shaping our entire justice system.

Andy spent nearly three decades as a correctional officer with the Michigan Department of Corrections before rising through union leadership with the Michigan Corrections Organization (MCO). That experience gave him a front-row seat to a reality many overlook: the well-being of people who run our prisons and the people in their custody are deeply intertwined. He is now an International Executive Board Vice President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the founder of One Voice United (OVU), a national organization that builds bridges between frontline corrections officers, policymakers, and reform advocates. 

Andy Potter meets Michigan Department of Corrections staff

Andy’s work shows that the crisis inside our prisons does not stay there. It creates a ripple effect that directly impacts the success of people on probation and parole. Understaffed prisons are forced to cut rehabilitative and educational programs, meaning people are released onto supervision with fewer skills and tools to succeed. 

This problem is compounded in the community, where probation and parole officers are often buried under overwhelming caseloads and scarce resources, forcing them into a cycle of surveillance and monitoring instead of guidance and support. This makes it harder for people to rebuild their lives and ultimately undermines public safety. 

Through OVU, Andy assembled the first-ever Blue Ribbon Commission on Correctional Staff Wellness and has testified before the House Judiciary Committee on this very topic. He has shed light on a crisis of burnout and trauma that has largely gone unnoticed outside of prison walls in outlets like The New York Times, The Marshall Project, and on national podcasts such as Righteous Convictions with Jason Flom. Andy also serves as a guest lecturer for Bridging the Gap: Dialogue Across Difference and sits on several national advisory boards, including the Urban Institute’s Advisory Board for the Prison Research and Innovation Initiative.

Join us for this conversation with Andy Potter as part of our ongoing series highlighting bold voices working toward a fairer justice system. Attend in person or online. Seats are limited, so register today.