Shontovia Atkinson is a human services professional with a distinguished career of over 25 years, focused on empowering individuals and strengthening communities. She comes with a proven ability to lead and manage complex programs and initiatives. Her areas of expertise include program management, staff training and development, data analysis, and effective relationship cultivation. She has a strong background in supporting individuals through case management and facilitating access to essential resources. Shontovia is committed to empowering communities and has extensive experience in providing training and technical assistance to organizations focused on justice-involved populations. Her commitment to reducing recidivism and promoting successful community reintegration is evident in her work. One of her favorite quotes is: “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

Ashlee Johnson was born and raised in a hot spot zone in Indianapolis, Indiana. She attended IPS Arsenal Tech High School and obtained her GED in 2011. In 2014, she graduated from Kaplan College with a certificate in Medical Office Management. After watching the needs of her community grow, her passion for serving people was her second post- graduate study at IUPUI, Indianapolis. This is where she earned a Bachelor of Social Work in May 2023. To this day, Ashlee is driven by her desire to disprove her label as a “delinquent” by setting an example for others. Her motto is “Just because we start life off without an advantage, that doesn’t mean you cannot work towards your goals and dreams.” For this reason, Hope Hustlers Outreach feels like home to her. To Ashlee, everyone deserves a second chance and some even deserve third or fourth chances. She is through and through a hope hustler!

“Sara Varner is the First Assistant at the Indiana Federal Community Defender’s Office. Sara
has broad criminal experience ranging from direct representation of persons charged with major
felonies in the district court to post-conviction and habeas work. In 2017, Sara successfully
litigated a class action habeas lawsuit challenging Indiana State Prison’s sex offender treatment
program, which required admissions of guilt, as a violation of the prohibition against compelled
speech. Sara has personally argued dozens of cases on appeal before the Seventh Circuit. In
addition to her practice, Sara is a founding board member and currently the President of the
Board of Directors for 1 Like Me, founded by her former sentence reduction client, Thomas “Big
T” Ridley. These sentence reduction cases are a passion for Sara. She has personally reviewed
and/or litigated thousands of cases over the past decade, sometimes reduction sentences a
matter of months and a handful of times, turning life sentences into a trip home. Sara has a
deep love of storytelling and teaches writing at the IU McKinney School of Law and also serves
on the Seventh Circuit’s Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions Committee and the Circuit Rules
Advisory Committee. In her spare time, you’ll find Sara with her four daughters and often
chasing a Bernedoodle who has, inevitably, found another sock.”