Sheriff's Office Inmate Programs Manager
Chesterfield County, VA

Bailey Hilliard is the Inmate Programs Manager at the Chesterfield County Jail (CCJ). She has her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Ohio State University. Bailey oversees the operation of the Helping Addicts Recover Progressively (HARP) Program and all other rehabilitative programming within CCJ. Capitalizing on a professional background in substance abuse programming, mental health programming, and re-entry services, Bailey is responsible for the monitoring, growth, and development of programming at CCJ. She supervises two program Deputies, the Re-Entry Coordinator and the Grant Assistant, as well as all volunteers and facilitators at the facility. All of the work Bailey does is to help return happy, healthy, and productive members of society to their homes.

Medical Director
Essex County, MA

Dr. Christopher Gudas has worked since 2020 as Medical Director for the Essex County Sheriff’s Department MOUD and Opioid Treatment Program (OTP). In that time, he expanded treatment by helping to establish a medically supervised withdrawal program in collaboration with the medical department and expand treatment options to include long-acting injectable buprenorphine (LAIB). He also established a jail rotation for Addiction Medicine Fellows from Brigham and Women’s Hospital Addiction Medicine Fellowship to expose fellows to treatment challenges “behind the wall.” Additionally, he works at three other County treatment programs and is a primary investigator for a study involving the use of LAIB in pre-trial patients. He has previously worked in residential treatment, in-home treatment, office-based addiction treatment, and tele-health settings. He is passionate about the use and expansion of MOUD in correctional settings to improve outcomes, reduce recidivism, and save lives. 

Interim Director, Chief Operating Officer
Franklin County, OH

Melissa Pierson brings over 30 years of experience in criminal justice and grants administration, with a career spanning leadership roles at the Common Pleas Court, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, and currently as Interim Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Franklin County Office of Justice Policy and Programs. 
She holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Dayton and is certified as a trainer in Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE), SAMHSA’s Trauma Informed Care, and Mental Health First Aid. Melissa also served as an Adjunct Instructor for Tiffin University for over six years and is currently pursuing certification as a Certified Government Financial Manager®.
Throughout her career, Melissa has been instrumental in advancing smart justice initiatives within Franklin County. Her contributions include the launch of the first Rapid Resource Center, the implementation of pre-release medication-assisted treatment in the jail, the Bridge Respite program, and the Pathways to Healthy Living pre-release initiative – all aimed at improving public safety and outcomes for justice-involved individuals through innovative, evidence-informed practices.

Sheriff's Office Medical Director
Chesterfield County, VA

Dr. Georges Mantovani Gay, MD, is an experienced Internal Medicine physician with a focus on Hematology and Medical Oncology. With over 34 years of experience in healthcare, he currently serves as the Medical Director for the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, where he has championed public health initiatives for the past 20 years. Dr. Gay has been instrumental in launching the HARP program, aiding over 3,500 individuals in addiction recovery, and has secured millions in grants to expand mental health services and Buprenorphine/Methadone treatment in the jail. His dedication has been recognized with the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award. Additionally, he shares his expertise as the Medical Advisor for the Medical Assisting Program at the Medical Careers Institute in Richmond, Virginia, empowering the next generation of healthcare professionals. Dr. Gay also serves as a board member of SAFE (Substance Abuse Free Environment) Inc., whose mission is to engage our community in working together to prevent and reduce substance abuse.

Sheriff
Chesterfield County, VA

Sheriff Leonard oversees one of the largest Sheriff's Offices in the Commonwealth of Virginia, serving a region of 430 square miles with a population of over 380,000. The Chesterfield Sheriff’s Office is composed of a force of over 340 employees with an annual budget in excess of $35M. His responsibilities primarily include the Security Division providing 24/7 security of 400 inmates at the Chesterfield County Jail (an additional 500 inmates at Riverside Regional Jail), the Court Services Division, which operates 17 courtrooms in Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and sees over 600,000 people pass through every year, and Civil Process which handles nearly 90,000 papers annually.

Sheriff Leonard began his law enforcement career with the Richmond City Sheriff’s Office, where he served as a deputy in the Jail, Juvenile Courts, and Transportation divisions before transitioning to the Chesterfield Police Department in 1982, where he became a patrolman. He rose through the ranks within the police department to the position of Major in command of all uniformed operations before his retirement in 2012 with 30 years of service. In 2013, Sheriff Leonard began his career with the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, and on February 1, 2014, was appointed Sheriff by the Chief Circuit Court Judge of Chesterfield County. The citizens of Chesterfield County later elected Sheriff Karl S. Leonard in a special election and subsequently in a general election.

Sheriff Leonard received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Buffalo State University and his master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Senior Management Institute for Police at Suffolk (MA) University.

Chief Deputy of Corrections
Franklin County, OH

Chief Deputy Geoff Stobart is the Chief Deputy of Research, Development, and Major Projects for the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Columbus, Ohio. With a career spanning over 27 years, Chief Stobart has gained wide and deep experience within the Sheriff's Office. Prior to his taking his current position,  he managed the Office’s largest division and was responsible for the custody and care of more than 2,000 inmates in two jails and for the security of all individuals working and visiting in Franklin County government buildings. He has been assigned to every Division of the Office spending time in Patrol, Community Relations, Internal Affairs, and Investigations.

Chief Stobart obtained a Graduate Certificate in Management Development from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations of Cornell University and is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command. He serves on the Franklin County Re-Entry Coalition, and the Franklin County Criminal Justice Planning Board. 

Assistant Superintendent
Essex County, MA

Mr. Jason W. Faro has served with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office since 1998, rising through the ranks from a correctional officer to his present position of assistant superintendent. He is currently responsible for the day-to-day operations of the newly formed Specialized Reentry Services Division. Mr. Faro currently manages all services that involve medication-assisted treatment, offender diversion programming, and pretrial reentry services. Mr. Faro holds a BS in criminal justice and political science and an MS in human services. He is a graduate of the Essex County Sheriff’s Department Basic Training Academy, Middleton, Massachusetts and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, US Border Patrol Academy Class 284, Artesia, New Mexico. He also regularly acts as adjunct faculty at local colleges instructing on subjects of criminology, corrections, and treatment within correctional settings. 

Jail Administrative Lieutenant
Kittitas County, WA

Lieutenant Edward Buntin has been with the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office Jail for almost 21 years.  He is the Administrative Lt. who oversees accreditation, clerical, training, recruiting, community engagement, programming, 1115 Waiver reentry team, contracts, and grant procurement and management.  Over the last couple of years, Lt. Buntin has also had the opportunity to work with the BJA/DOJ and various partners on projects surrounding MOUD/MAT and other programming in carceral facilities, including parts of the Building Bridges 2 Initiative and the development of the Guidelines for Managing Substance Withdrawal in Jails.  He continues to serve as a faculty member in Minnesota and Oregon, focusing on SUD in Jail ECHO Programs.  Lt. Buntin holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education from Central Washington University and has completed his Middle Management Certification with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, as well as the Emerging Leadership Certificate from the National Command & Staff College. 

Division Manager, Medical, Mental Health, and Associated Contracts
Essex County, MA

Ms. Jennifer Padre has over 25 years of clinical experience as a social worker in a variety of settings. She is an Assistant Superintendent with the Essex County Sheriff's Department and serves as the Clinical Director. Her previous positions include working for the Essex County District Attorney's Office and as the Mental Health Director of the Essex County Correctional Facility. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from Boston University and is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with specialty training in Suicide Prevention, Trauma-Informed Practice, Dual-Diagnosis treatment, and First-Responder/Disaster Response treatment. She has experience working with vulnerable populations in the community and while incarcerated. Her experience includes child and elder protective services, victim support and advocacy, emergency/crisis response, and program development. 

Sheriff's Office Director, Behavioral Health Division
Chesterfield County, VA

Kerri Rhodes is a licensed mental health clinician in Virginia with 30 years of experience, personally touched by the opioid epidemic and fueled by the loss of her son, Taylor. With a powerful message and rapidly growing platform, Kerri is challenging and changing how America treats and addresses mental health, trauma, substance use disorder, and how pain is managed. Kerri has spent the last 29 years working in community mental health, schools, the justice system, and private practice. She brings to bear that experience and expertise, in addition to the lessons Taylor taught her, as she educates and empowers. She shares her message and those tools that would have helped Taylor in his battle. Her platform has reached schools, prisons, healthcare, and national leaders. The invitations to speak, collaborate, and teach are growing and have included Weill Cornell Medicine, Shatterproof, Discovery Channel Plus, Senator Patrick Kennedy, Psychology Today, the National Safety Council, and The Executive Office of the President. Kerri is currently the Director, Behavioral and Mental Health Division in the Chesterfield County Jail and works with the H.A.R.P program, which helps to heal those incarcerated with substance use and mental health issues. 

Chief Medical Officer
Franklin County, OH

Dr. Jimmy D. Fernandez serves as the Chief Medical and Interim Behavioral Health Officer of Armor Health, where he leads efforts to improve the quality and safety of healthcare in correctional settings. He trained in Internal Medicine at the University of Miami, FL, and holds an MBA with specialization in Health Sector Management. He is a Fellow of both the American College of Physicians (FACP) and the American College of Correctional Physicians (FACCP), reflecting his dedication to advancing excellence in medicine and correctional health.

At Armor, Dr. Fernandez has guided the integration of medical, psychiatric, and behavioral health services into a unified model of care. Under his leadership, Armor has achieved measurable improvements, including reducing avoidable hospital admissions to rates far below community benchmarks. His initiatives include expanding access to Medication Assisted Treatment for opioid use disorder, strengthening suicide prevention programs, embedding behavioral health into daily medical practice, and developing reentry planning that supports continuity of care after release.

Dr. Fernandez is passionate about ensuring that incarcerated individuals—often among society’s most vulnerable—receive care that is safe, evidence-based, and focused on long-term recovery and reintegration. 

Sheriff's Office Deputy
Chesterfield County, VA

Daniel is the Male Liaison Deputy for the Helping Addicts Recover Progressively (HARP) program at Chesterfield County Jail. He oversees the day-to-day operations inside the program, ensuring the safety and security of the men participating. Daniel received an associate’s degree in criminal justice and started his career with the Sheriff’s Office in 2014. He spent the first seven years assigned to the Security shift and obtained his Field Training Officer and Emergency Medical Technician certifications. He was selected in 2022 as the HARP Deputy, where he remains to this day.

Middleton Jail Superintendent
Essex County, MA

Aaron W. Eastman has served as Superintendent of the Middleton House of Correction (MHOC) and Jail for the Essex County Sheriff’s Department (ECSD) since 2017. He began his career with ECSD in 2000 as a Correctional Officer progressing steadily through various positions that expanded his skills and leadership, now with 25 years of experience in law enforcement. Starting his career as a Correctional Officer, he has come up through the ranks and was first named Superintendent in 2016. He has a strong background in care, custody, and today he is responsible for all day-to-day operations to include all correctional and law enforcement duties for over four hundred staff and eight hundred inmates. He was also a reserve Police Officer in Gloucester MA.

 Dedicated to the care and custody of those incarcerated at MHOC, Superintendent Eastman is responsible for all day-to-day operations of over 400 staff and 800 inmates. His priority is reducing Use of Force (UOF) incidents through de-escalation techniques, Critical Incident Training (CIT), and defensive tactics training. These efforts have led to a 32.5% reduction in UOF incidents from 2022 to 2023. Superintendent Eastman’s team-centered approach to training and education has created a safer environment for both staff and inmates alike.

Superintendent Eastman holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Curry College and a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Springfield College. He is a certified Massachusetts Counsel Against Discrimination (MCAD) Investigator and Trainer; a Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun Instructor through the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee; and an active member of several professional organizations, including FBI-LEEDA Program, American Correctional Association, Internation Association of Chiefs of Police, and American Jail Association.