Marleina Ubel

Marleina Ubel, Senior Policy Analyst, researches the criminal legal system with a focus on alternatives to policing that center restorative justice. Previously, Marleina was NJPP’s 2020-2021 Kathleen Crotty Fellow where she analyzed the state budget process and researched public spending on state and local law enforcement. Marleina began her undergraduate work at Valencia College and earned a transfer scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she earned a B.A. in Philosophy. As a PIKSI fellow, she spent a summer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology challenging demographic disparities in institutions of higher learning. In 2021, she earned her M.S.W. in Management and Policy at Rutgers University and served as an Eagleton Fellow in the New Jersey Assembly Majority Office. Marleina lives in Lambertville with her husband and daughter.

Language Access Removes Barriers and Makes Public Services More Effective

November 7, 2022 • Immigrants' Rights
Testimony from NJPP Policy Analyst and State Policy Fellow Marleina Ubel in support of making government materials accessible in multiple languages.

Data Disaggregation Gives Lawmakers a Full Picture of Communities and Advances Equity

November 7, 2022 • Immigrants' Rights
Testimony from NJPP Policy Analyst and State Policy Fellow Marleina Ubel in support of implementing data disaggregation.

The High Cost of “Free” Representation: Why New Jersey Should Eliminate Public Defender Fees

October 24, 2022 • Public Safety
High fees for the constitutional right to an attorney leave clients in debt and influence how they navigate New Jersey's justice system.

New Internal Affairs Dashboard is a Historic Step Towards Police Transparency

September 7, 2022 • Public Safety
New dashboard on police internal affairs investigations compiles information that was only accessible through hundreds of different agencies.

Reevaluation of Fines and Fees in the Criminal Legal System is Essential to Reducing Wealth Inequality

August 18, 2022 • Economic Justice, Public Safety
Testimony from NJPP Policy Analyst Marleina Ubel during The Wealth Disparity Task Force’s Criminal Justice Working Group listening session.

Affordable for Some: What’s Included and Missing in New Jersey’s FY 2023 Budget

June 30, 2022 • Tax and Budget
The new state budget creates a Child Tax Credit, but other programs to support working families didn’t make it in.

Racial Impact Statements Are Essential When Changing Criminal Justice Policy to Advance Racial Justice

June 13, 2022 • Public Safety
Testimony from NJPP Policy Analyst Marleina Ubel, urging the Office of Legislative Services to produce a racial impact statement for S513.

New Jersey Could Do More to Expand Reentry Services

June 13, 2022 • Public Safety
New Jersey's FY 2023 budget fails to invest in robust reentry services, non-police crisis response, or directly in communities most harmed by the pandemic.

Local Government Should Not Be Funded With Fines and Fees

May 9, 2022 • Economic Justice, Public Safety
Testimony by NJPP Policy Analyst Marleina Ubel in opposition of using law enforcement fines and fees to fund government services.

Legislation Undermining the Criminal Justice Reform Act Would Harm Communities of Color

March 21, 2022 • Public Safety
Testimony by NJPP Policy Analyst Marleina Ubel opposing presumptive pretrial detention for Graves offenses.