Leon Smith, Esq., Executive Director

Leon Smith has served as CfJJ’s executive director since February 2019. He is a 1995 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio and a 1999 graduate of New England Law Boston. Leon has worked as an attorney advocating for young people since 2001, starting his career as a juvenile court public defender in Rhode Island and Massachusetts before starting his own law practice devoted to juvenile and criminal court advocacy in the Massachusetts Juvenile, District and Superior courts. He then moved on to the Vera Institute of Justice in New York City, working on youth-oriented, national public policy issues before moving on and establishing the Racial Justice Project for the Connecticut-based Center for Children’s Advocacy. That project advocated reforms to reduce unnecessary and disproportionate school exclusion and provide legal representation to youth of color subjected to harsh school discipline, juvenile court delinquency matters and unconstitutional targeting by law enforcement. He was also the lead facilitator and co-chair of Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) committees, which addressed disparities in the juvenile justice system in three Connecticut cities, and an appointed member of the Connecticut Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System. In addition to his leadership of CfJJ, Leon has been an active member of a number of commissions, coalitions and working groups in Massachusetts, including Massachusetts’ Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC), the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board (JJPAD), the Legislature's Emerging Adult Justice Task Force and the School Resource Officer/Memorandum of Understanding Commission. Attorney Smith has lectured and presented on juvenile justice, criminal justice and education related issues at local and national conferences and at colleges and universities both inside and outside of New England.

Sana Fadel, Deputy Director

Sana Fadel serves as Deputy Director and is primarily responsible for CfJJ's legislative advocacy and is the lead organizer of the statewide Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Reform Coalition. Prior to joining CfJJ, Sana was the Director of Public Policy at Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for poor and homeless women in Boston where she led campaigns on access to substance use treatment, strengthening families involved with the child welfare system, and improving services for customers applying for and receiving public benefits. She was responsible for advocating at the state-level on issues affecting Rosie’s Place guests as well as empowering them through voter mobilization and advocacy trainings. Sana holds a Masters in Public Administration from Columbia University, New York and a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Augusta State University, Georgia.

Alex Danesco, Consultant

Alex joined CfJJ in November 2017. His work has included direct service, program management, board management, capacity building and resource development at three community based, youth serving organizations in Boston. After graduating with a degree in Philosophy from Boston College in 1997, he worked for the West End House Boys and Girls Club in Brighton, where he served as Associate Executive Director. In this role he managed all operations of the organization’s positive youth development programming, through six core areas as developed by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He then served as Executive Director of the Commonwealth Tenants Association expanding services to the youth and families of the Commonwealth Housing Development. From 2012 to 2017, he served as Development and Program Director and at MissionSAFE, a Roxbury based, teen-serving organization, where he focused on corporate and individual philanthropy, and program management. Alex holds a Master’s Degree in Youth Development Leadership from Clemson University in Clemson, SC.

Joshua Dankoff, Director of Strategic Initiatives

Joshua joined CfJJ in 2015 to staff the Massachusetts Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Leadership Forum, an interagency group focused on strategic planning and addressing racial disparities. His current work involves leading initiatives that extend the impact of CfJJ’s advocacy, including research on policing, race equity, and education. As a qualified Results Based Facilitator, Joshua engages state-wide leaders to work together toward equity-focused interagency systems improvement. Prior to joining CfJJ, his work focused on justice for children, child protection systems building, and rule of law in both the United States and internationally. He worked with UNICEF, as Child Protection Specialist in Sierra Leone where he helped facilitate the launch of the Child Justice Strategy. He has previous experience with the Ministry of Justice in Côte d’Ivoire while on a Fulbright-Clinton Public Policy Fellowship; the Firelight Foundation; and as a consultant with Child Frontiers, Civil Registration Centre for Development, and others. Joshua is a graduate of Wesleyan University, and Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor and certificates in ChildLaw and Public Interest law. He also has a Masters in Development Practice from the University of Queensland, Australia. He taught a masters-level course entitled "Child Rights, Protection, and Development" at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.

Kate Lowenstein, Multisystem Youth Project Director

Kate joined CfJJ in December 2014. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kate earned a joint J.D/M.S.W from the Catholic University of America. She began her career as part of a team implementing a court-ordered mandate to reform the juvenile justice system in Washington, D.C. She then spent time working in the abuse and neglect system in Washington, D.C, before moving into the field of international human rights and victim rights. For the 13 years prior to coming to CfJJ, she was co-director of Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights where she had extensive experience organizing and advocating for victims and murder victims' family members. She co-authored an amicus curiae brief on behalf of victims' family members to the Supreme Court in the high-profile case Roper v. Simmons.

Delaney House, Communications and Development Coordinator

Delaney joined CfJJ in July 2023 as the Development and Communications Coordinator. She completed her undergraduate education in Political Science and Social Thought and Political Economy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. During her studies she conducted research on how the experience of menstruation is weaponized against people under carceral control in the United States. She previously interned with the Reproductive Health Access Project, Housing Up, and multiple other nonprofits and advocacy groups. As the Development and Communications Coordinator at CfJJ, Delaney works to strengthen CfJJ’s outreach. 

Hannah White, Grants Coordinator

Hannah White joined CfJJ as the Grants Coordinator in 2025. In this role, she supports fundraising efforts to advance CfJJ’s mission. Hannah has a strong commitment to equity and social justice. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, Criminology & Criminal Justice, and Social Justice from Merrimack College in Massachusetts and a Master of Science in Criminology & Criminal Justice from Arizona State University. Hannah’s background spans research, program management, and direct service for individuals impacted by incarceration, the child welfare system, and broader criminal legal system involvement. Her research on childhood victimization and adult incarceration has been published in Trauma, Violence, and Abuse. In Massachusetts, she has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children and interned at the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. While in Arizona, she worked as a Graduate Research Assistant conducting research and developing programming designed to enhance the well-being of women affected by incarceration. She later served as Programs Manager at the Arizona Small Business Association, co-leading an initiative empowering individuals with carceral system involvement to launch and grow their own businesses, fostering economic independence and personal success. After returning to Massachusetts, she is honored to contribute to CfJJ’s advocacy and community work to lead systemic change in youth justice.

Astrid Hernandez, Community Engagement Coordinator

Astrid joined CfJJ in February 2026. As the Community Engagement Coordinator at CfJJ, she works closely with community partners and youth advocates. She recently completed her undergraduate education in Political Science at Bridgewater State University. As a student, she was involved in Bridgewater State’s Martin Richard Institute of Social Justice. Through the institute, she had the opportunity to partner with Brockton Interfaith Community, engaging with leader-led initiatives that aid the residents of Brockton. Astrid previously served as a Lindsay Fellow in the Judge Reginald C. Lindsay Fellowship program in the United States District Court of Massachusetts.