Greetings,

As someone who has been preparing my staff and movement leaders for my transition, I want to take a moment to share some important updates regarding the future of our organization and the significance of embracing new leadership. I have made the decision to retire from my position as the Executive Director of LSPC, effective April 2024.

Having served as the Executive Director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children for over 20 years, and with the organization’s rich 45-year history, I believe it is crucial to provide an explanation and recognition of the changes I’m implementing prior to my retirement. I want to ensure our community that my transition has been carefully planned and nurtured. I will remain on the LSPC Board to be a resource and support advocate for this organization.

I am proud to announce the promotion of Paul Briley to the position of Deputy Director and also Dr. Tanisha Cannon as Managing Director. These young people have already demonstrated dedication and amazing accomplishments both within our organization and the broader movement. You can read more about them individually in this publication. I am confident that both their skill sets will play a vital role in shaping the future of our organization. Over the coming months, I will personally reach out to our funding partners, supporters, and sister organizations to introduce you to our new leadership team. I kindly request your support and ask you to embrace these leaders in their new roles. Your unwavering generosity, kindness and acceptance have been the cornerstone of my journey at LSPC. 

Furthermore, in the coming months LSPC will conduct a national search to hire the next Executive Director for Legal Services for Prisoners with Children. The candidates identified through this search will be presented to the LSPC Board of Director’s who will ultimately select the new E.D. This thorough and inclusive process will ensure that the person best suited to lead this great organization forward will be selected. I have no doubt that under capable, visionary and dedicated leadership, LSPC will continue to thrive as it has for the past 45-years.

I am filled with so many different emotions as I work toward retirement, I certainly hope to steward this transition with the humility, efficiency, thoughtfulness, gratefulness and the genuine leadership required. I know I will have to learn not to work and how to relax.  Thank you for all your support.

With heartfelt regards,

Dorsey Nunn
Executive Director, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children

Paul Briley is the Deputy Director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children. Paul focuses on fines & fees among other legal monetary sanctions that burden formerly incarcerated individuals and disproportionately impact low-income people and communities of color. He grew up in the Bayview-Hunters Point district of San Francisco, a community that has seen its fair share of social problems over the years. 

As a child Paul was displaced by the foster care system and subsequently fell into a deep cycle of recidivism. The juvenile dependency court deployed him to a military boarding school for troubled youth. This instilled a great deal of consciousness and respect for different people and different places, but it also sparked an immense amount of curiosity and concern within. The majority of individuals confined were impacted by public policy. 

After aging out of foster care Paul became politicized through Project Rebound and learned how to use his carceral experience as a catalyst for change in social justice. He attended San Francisco State University and became an advocate for system impacted students on campus. He transferred to the University of California, Berkeley and became a student ambassador for the Berkeley Underground Scholars, a student-led organization of formerly incarcerated students on campus working to expand the prison to school pipeline. During undergrad, Paul noticed significant differences that distinguish one community from another and how social programs, public policy laws, and monetary allocations create these community distinctions. He explored how multiple areas of study intersect with one another and majored in interdisciplinary studies with a specific goal in mind, utilize the inside knowledge of institutions and systems currently in place to help people from marginalized groups. 

All of Us or None presented an opportunity in 2019 to become a Ronald Elder Freeman Policy Fellow. He was trained to become a community organizer and policy advocate for formerly incarcerated and convicted people as well as their families. During his fellowship, Paul helped draft the language for ACA 6 which restored the right to vote to 50,000 people on parole in California. He also helped lead the People over Profits campaign in San Francisco, an ordinance change that required the City and its vendors to stop generating revenue from incarcerated people and their loved ones. San Francisco became the first city in the nation to make jail phone calls free and end the markup of commissary items in the county Jail. The victory in San Francisco permeated throughout California influencing larger legislation cosponsored by LSPC making phone calls free inside of all CA state prisons. 

The People over Profits ordinance was an important change but it didn't help people who still lacked the funds to purchase from the commissary. To go a step further, Paul created the Commissary Allowance Program in San Francisco, which allows incarcerated people who lack financial support to receive a small monthly allowance to pay for basic necessities. This is the first program of its kind in the country.

Paul extends his efforts to those who have fallen victim to social forces and will work to reconstruct the policies that have allowed this to happen. Unbound by the institutions of previous order, he is creating an alternative discourse independently of the dominant social group. Paul has an insatiable appetite for resilient truth, obtaining knowledge that produces solutions, and creating ways to sustain institutional change.

Dr. Tanisha Cannon is a dedicated and compassionate advocate for social justice, committed to making a lasting impact on the lives of prisoners and their children. As the Managing Director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the fields of education, sociology, criminal justice, and public administration.

Dr. Cannon earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a focus on social justice from California State East Bay in May 2023. Prior to that, she pursued her undergraduate studies in sociology and completed a Master's in Public Administration. Her academic background has provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the complex issues surrounding underserved communities and the criminal justice system.

Dr. Cannon's passion for creating positive change stems from her personal experiences. Having witnessed firsthand the effects of the criminal justice system on her own family, with her mother, brothers, and grandfather all experiencing incarceration, she is deeply committed to challenging the status quo. As a juvenile, she also faced direct impacts from the system, giving her a unique perspective and a sense of urgency to work towards systemic reform.

Throughout her career, Dr. Cannon has actively engaged with underserved communities. She dedicated her time and expertise at the Oakland Housing Authority, where she worked tirelessly to address the needs of marginalized populations. Additionally, her role as a Cultural Strategist with the City of Oakland allowed her to collaborate with government officials and community leaders to develop initiatives promoting equity and inclusion.

She believes in the power of civic engagement and community organizing to drive meaningful change. Her dedication to empowering individuals and creating systemic solutions sets her apart as a leader in her field.

Dr. Cannon firmly believes that her works at LSPC should be organized around principles of caring, compassion, love, and humanity. Drawing inspiration from the concept of Ubuntu—a Zulu South African philosophy of humanism—she recognizes that while individuals have diverse lived experiences, their shared humanity is the foundation for affirming and validating their voices. She strives to prioritize the human element in her work, placing greater emphasis on the stories, experiences, and perspectives of individuals rather than reducing them to mere numbers and charts.

By incorporating these principles into her role as Managing Director, Dr. Cannon ensures that her work is guided by empathy, respect, and a commitment to amplifying marginalized voices. She seeks to create a space that recognizes and values the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, fostering an environment that promotes equity, justice, and positive change.

Dr. Cannon will continue to champion the cause of justice and support the families impacted by incarceration. Her tireless efforts, combined with her extensive knowledge and personal experiences, make her a compassionate and effective advocate for systems change.