Emily Bogdan

Emily Bogdan is a program associate who started working with Witness in April. She holds a BA in psychology from Skidmore College, where she managed a psychology research lab studying gender bias. She is currently an MA candidate in Forensic Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, conducting her thesis on public attitudes towards individuals who commit sexual offenses. She has also held various internships and research positions in the field of criminal justice and prison reform, including work at the Correctional Association of New York. These positions have given her the opportunity to learn from those who are directly affected by the system as well as those who are working to reform it. 

Emily met Evie through the work that they both do with the New York Jewish Coalition on Criminal Justice Reform and was eager to get involved with Witness. As someone who has conducted research on gender, women’s rights are important to Emily and working with Witness has allowed her to work at the intersection of her interests. Emily is passionate about bringing positive change to the criminal justice and prison systems and would love to one day see a system that is more focused on rehabilitation than punishment. 

 “I find the formerly incarcerated individuals that I have come in contact with through my work with Witness and elsewhere to be some of the most resilient and inspiring people. I hope that through our work, we can help raise their voices and help the public to see them as more than just their past. We are all the same at the core and I truly believe that everyone deserves a second chance”