Awinna Martinez

Awinna Martinez, Policy Director, manages NJPP’s team of analysts and plays a major role in developing and advancing the think tank’s research and policy agenda.
Before joining NJPP in 2023, Awinna spent the majority of her career focused on criminal legal system with a human-centered lens. Awinna most recently worked in the pretrial justice space as a Program Manager with the Center for Effective Public Policy, and as the Project Director of the Staten Island Justice Center, where she oversaw the implementation of pretrial supervised release after New York City’s bail reform. Awinna also held positions at the Midtown Community Court and Newark Community Solutions. Awinna also served as the Community Law and Policy Fellow at the Center for Collaborative Change in Newark, where she was the Research Lead for the 2012 Newark Needs and Impact Assessment. Awinna holds a B.A. from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law-Newark.