Wednesday, April 26th @ The Hive - University of Winnipeg

Natalia Ilyniak (she/her) is a queer Ukrainian settler living on Treaty 1 Territory. Natalia's work and volunteer experience focuses on community-based responses to harm with a focus on restorative and transformative justice. She worked as Program Director for over ten years with Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA), a Manitoba-based nonprofit providing a supportive space to people with sexual offence histories transitioning into the community after incarceration. She teaches Criminology part-time in the Sociology Department at the University of Winnipeg. She currently organizes with the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition (MEJC) and volunteers with the Bar None Prison Rideshare Program. Natalia lives in West Broadway with her dog, Sadie, and two cats, Mittens and Oldie Hawn.

Jennifer has spent over ten years volunteering and working with inmates across Manitoba with Initiatives for Just Communities. While completing a Criminal Justice degree at the University of Winnipeg, a passion for community building in unlikely ways and spaces emerged. As the Associate Director of Open Circle and Circles of Support and Accountability, Jen splits her time between visiting at Stony Mountain Institution and working with volunteers and participants in a community setting in Winnipeg. Walking alongside those who are incarcerated or being released from prison furthered her interest in alternative responses to harm and crime in our communities. Transformative Justice and addressing the disposability culture that exists for those who harm others has been a focal point throughout Jen's career and life