About Us

Our Staff

Fred Nelson

Fred Nelson - Executive Director and Board President

Until he relocated to Tucson, AZ at the end of 2019 to focus on prison and reentry ministry, Fred was the lead pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, a multisite congregation located in Park Ridge and Chicago, Illinois. He is also the founder and Executive Director of the Lutheran Church Planters Network, created to help train and network church planters across the country. A former missionary in Bangladesh and an expert in Christian-Muslim relations, Fred has been involved in prison ministry since 2005 as a volunteer chaplain at Stateville Prison in Joliet, Illinois, including founding the Under the Door Prison Ministry, writing the Spiritual Survival Guide for Prison and Beyond, and crafting RED Chicago, a reentry directory for the Chicago area.

He is the founder and executive director of the Inside Out Network, dedicated to crafting innovative solutions to connect returning citizens with service providers, churches, and ministries, as well as to connect those serving on the inside in prison ministry with those outside who are working on reentry challenges. Because of Christ’s call and claim on his life, Fred sees himself fundamentally as a change-agent – an agent of Christ’s life-changing hope and joy – to everyone he meets, but especially to those who are feeling hopeless or disconnected. He has a passion for networking, coaching, hiking in the desert, and Indian food. Fred and his wife Carol have four grown sons between them.

Maddi Briguglio

Maddi Briguglio – Director of Operations

Maddi was born and raised in Fountain Hills, Arizona and she attended Arizona State University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice and her Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. Maddi has been with the Inside Out Network since 2020- she loves working to improve the re-entry process in various states. In addition to her role at ION, she is a Faculty Associate for Arizona State University where she teaches a course on crime control policies. Maddi is also a volunteer for Journey.do which is a platform that works to support youth in juvenile detention in Arizona. Overall, she is passionate about creating positive change in the criminal justice system and hopes to use her education and experiences to do so.

Miranda Campos

Miranda Campos – Arizona Program Manager

In January of 2020 I lost someone very close to my heart. Growing up in Tucson, AZ, as rambunctious youngsters, we shared numerous adrenaline run-ins with local pd and he accumulated his share of experiences in corrections. I remember each time he came out, he was so optimistic and genuinely had the desire “to do better this time”. Prison promises he later called them, and I quickly learned why when I'd get that recorded phone call asking if I would "accept the call from..." Such a bittersweet call to get from someone you love, that you can't be near or see for some span of time, that feels like forever no matter the reality. You feel utterly helpless in that moment and it is heartbreaking and frustrating. I know he earnestly tried so incredibly hard each time he got out to start new; get a job, rent a home, live the dream! But how? Where do we go for help? Back then- yellow pages or local printed directories. That was it. No money, no car, no job, but the expectation that you will succeed. It was hard then and it still is, but there's so much more hope and sincere help now. My wish is for returning citizens to know there is an amazing network of reentry communities that are waiting for them when they get home.

I have a record,I have trauma, I have a past… I also have (as of this writing) almost 1 year in recovery from a lifelong addiction of super-high functioning alcoholism. (See Below) I know what it's like to need help. And I know how healthy support can change a person's life.

I have a BA in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Northern Arizona University and an MA in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University.

My work with ION is a tribute to Josh. Love & Miss You Blue.

Sara Trivedi

Sara Trivedi - Financial Administrator

Through much of her childhood, Sara lived in northern Alabama with her parents and three siblings. When she was 16 years old, her family moved to San Francisco, CA. She graduated from high school in the CA bay area and went on to the University of California, Davis to earn her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. At UC Davis, she met her now-husband Aneel Trivedi. In 2001, after graduating from college and getting married (both events separated by only one week—this was intentional so as to allow her family to travel once to be a part of both events), Sara and Aneel moved to Los Angeles. Until their oldest child Noah was born in 2004, Sara worked as an office administrator in the UCLA Math Department, and later, as an accountant at the same university. Their family then traveled to Alabama so Aneel could attend graduate school at Auburn University. During their short time in Alabama, their second child Kai was born. A job opportunity for Aneel brought the family to Chicago in 2008. Sara spent much of her children's early lives volunteering in various roles in their elementary and middle schools (a personal favorite: the school library). For the past four years, she has worked part-time as the office manager at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Park Ridge, IL, where she currently lives with her husband and two children. She looks forward to being a part of ION and helping returning citizens obtain the resources they need to lead successful lives.

Emilee Edwards

Emilee Martin - Inmate Registration

I have lived in Arizona for the majority of my life and I attended Arizona State University where I received my Bachelors Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice and my Masters Degree in Criminal Justice. Working alongside the community and positively making an impact has always been my passion. As the inmate registration coordinator, I work alongside the correctional facilities daily to ensure that returning citizens have a smooth transition.

Kristina Beretta

Kristina Beretta - Program Assistant

Hi there! My name is Kristina Beretta and I’m currently helping ION part-time with whatever they need. Raised in the "Egg Basket of the World," a small town turned city in Northern California, I started working customer service jobs at the bright age of fourteen. My first look into the world of Criminal Justice came while puttering my way through an English degree. After that taste I was hooked! Now here at Inside Out Network, I enjoy working with a program dedicated to helping fill a void our justice system desperately needs and provide the tools for those second chances everyone deserves. Outside of working two jobs, I still make time for writing stories and doodling in the margins of my paperwork while enjoying a wide range of music.

Madison Snider

Madison Snider- Program Assistant

My name is Madison Snider, and I am a senior at Arizona State University, majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice. I was born and raised in California but relocated to Arizona with my family when I was a sophomore in high school. Throughout my experience in the ASU Criminal Justice undergraduate program, I have learned and understood the gaps in our justice system, including the from prison back to society cracks. The Inside Out Network is a brilliant resource that many returning citizens can benefit from to utilize as a stepping stone into creating a successful life outside of prison. I am looking forward to being part of this program and learning new tools that I will carry with me through the rest of my educational career and future in Criminal Justice.

Catrin Shmaeil

Catrin Shmaeil - Intern

Hello! My name is Catrin Shmaeil, and I'm a student at Arizona State University, majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice, accompanied by a minor in Political Science and a certificate in Socio-Legal Studies. While I was born in Baghdad, Iraq, I have been raised in Peoria, Arizona, for most of my life. Post-graduation, my aspiration extends to the realm of law school, with the hope of pursuing a career in post-conviction litigation. I have a strong desire and passion to enhance my knowledge in areas such as prison and justice reform, as well as reintegration after incarceration. ION is a great resource for returning citizens to benefit from, enabling them to create a successful life outside of prison. I am looking forward to being a part of the team and contributing to the solution.

Julia Christensen

Julia Christensen - Intern

Julia Christensen is currently in her senior year at Arizona State University, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology. She is originally from North Dakota but relocated to Arizona in order to attend in-person classes and become more involved in the local community. When she is not working full-time as a server or going to classes at the downtown Phoenix campus, she enjoys volunteering at St. Vincent de Paul, where she helps students with their homework or prepares meals for the homeless. She is very passionate about giving back to her community in as many ways as possible, and the prison population is a large part of this. Together with her internship with ION, she is looking forward to assisting this population with a seemless re-entry into the outside world.

LaNay Hazzard

LaNay Hazzard - Intern

Hello, my name is LaNay Hazzard, and I am currently a student at Arizona State University, where I am double majoring in Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice and Criminology. My future goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker, where I hope to be an advocate for those who do not understand how the criminal justice system works. I would like to work closely with juvenile delinquents and their families to get their lives back on track and keep them from reentering the criminal justice system in their adult lives. I am excited to begin my journey with ION and hope to gain an immense amount of knowledge from all the staff.

Kristiana Palacio

Kristiana Palacio - Intern

Hi, my name is Kristiana Palacio, and I am a senior at Arizona State University, double majoring in Forensic Psychology and Criminology. Originally from Southern California, I chose ASU for its vibrant change of scenery and temperature. My journey through ASU's Forensic Psychology and Criminology programs has equipped me with a deep understanding of the justice system's challenges, from incarceration to societal reentry. I am particularly excited about joining the Inside Out Network (ION), an invaluable resource for returning citizens. ION stands as a beacon, guiding individuals toward building successful lives post-incarceration. In my role as an intern, I aim to deepen my knowledge of criminal justice reform and contribute to enhancing ION's impact. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to develop skills and insights that will enrich my academic journey and future career in Criminal Justice!

Andrea Sampson

Andrea Sampson - Intern

My name is Andrea Sampson from the Hopi Indian Tribe of Arizona and the Navajo Nation. Currently, I am a Senior completing my last session for Spring 2024 at Arizona State University, majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice. I earned associate degrees in criminal justice and administration of justice, and received occupational certificates in Forensic Science, Corrections, Legal studies, and Victimology at Phoenix College. I am highly motivated to journey in a direction of change to improve systematic complexities where justice initiatives are difficult to apply in overlapping jurisdictions at tribal, state, and federal levels. My passion is to pave a way to improve re-entry programs within tribal communities enhancing restorative justice practices, provide law enforcement training in trauma-informed policing practices due to a large number of violent cases on tribal jurisdictions, promote evidence-based practices using forensic science skills to improve evidence preservation in criminal and death investigations, and provide research and data analysis to support and improve policing efforts, funding, and community resources and information for public safety initiatives. In the background, I am a Human Resource and Benefits Specialist, where my skillset in healthcare, employment, and wellness knowledge will go hand in hand in providing a service to the Inside Out Network –ION. This platform is a great resource to bridge those re-entering into society to connect with service providers who will assist in a critical transition. I firmly believe this resource will help those in need of assistance to rebuild their life and to improve the quality of society. I look forward to assisting ION and gaining knowledge from this experience!

Our Board

Evan Freund

Evan Freund

Evan Freund is a retired health care executive with 25 years’ experience managing inner-city health care services and ambulatory care systems in New York and Chicago. He has held leadership positions in trade organizations, has served as a board member and Chair of Ancona School, and is Treasurer of Citizens for Global Solutions Education Fund. He is currently Board Chair of Community Counseling Centers of Chicago, a behavioral care agency serving children and adults. He took an M.B.A. in hospital administration from the University of Chicago, and an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota, focusing on public administration. Evan is a Life Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Evan has resided with his wife, Nan, in Chicago for 48 years. He and Nan intentionally chose to live in diverse communities for their entire married life. Their two sons, Max and Alex, both live in Los Angeles with their families. Nan is an educational therapist; whose office is in their home on the south side of Chicago. She is a past President of the Association of Educational Therapists, and a national leader in her profession.

Evan has a strong interest in international politics and world federation as well as reentry of rejoined citizens. He has become a passionate advocate for criminal justice reform in Illinois, working with major coalitions of advocates for legislative and system reform. He founded the Interfaith Criminal Justice Task Force to advocate for legislative reforms in criminal justice and is member of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago, the founding Rotary Club of Rotary International.

John Mclees

John McLees

John McLees is a retired partner of law firm of Baker & McKenzie LLP and an activist in connecting citizens with organizations and initiatives dedicated to reforming the criminal justice system and to improving the lives of those who are incarcerated or who have been released from jail or from prison.

He maintains a website, at http://incarcerationreform.com/, with information about resources for learning about the criminal justice system and opportunities for citizens to get involved in confronting the moral crisis of mass incarceration. John is also active in several organizations that work to pressure the United States and Israel to honor the human rights of the Palestinian people.

Justin Benjamin

Justin Benjamin

Justin has had an unconventional education when it comes to the corrections industry. His experience began as a youth as a justice-involved individual at the age of 17. He successfully paid his debt to society over a period of 10 years. He then formed alliances with his community supervision office and began working to help those incarcerated. He started his work in the behavioral health sector in 2007 in northern Arizona. He has worked in private substance abuse clinics, Regional Behavioral Health public clinics, and hospitals helping those with substance use disorders and forensic backgrounds. Today Justin strives to be a role model and demonstrates that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to those who are previously justice-involved. His uncanny ability to build connections with anyone he meets is the native Texan shining through. When he is not making connections in the world of re-entry he is making them on the football field where he has played and coached or on the mats in some of the top MMA gyms across Arizona. Saying Justin has a large family is an understatement. He is father to four daughters, one son and has a new granddaughter. Justin knows what it takes to grow strong communities and does just that here in Arizona, sharing with those who will listen to what he believes. He works hard to live his motto: “Know it, Do it, and Believe it.”

Tory LaRochelle

Tory LaRochelle

Tory has been working with the Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation and Reentry Team since 2020 to align with the department's transition to support inmates through rehabilitation and reentry. She has a passion to serve God and to inspire, support, and bring positive change to all of those around her. Tory has worked with underserved populations for over 15 years including persons diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness, Substance Dependence, and Reentry Programming. Tory completed her Graduate Degree in Counseling through University of Phoenix in 2016, with a desire to better understand people first, to then create change. Tory is a Navy Veteran and it is her life's work to serve God and others "always believing in the good of humanity!"

Larry Pace

Larry Pace - Secretary and Treasurer

Larry joined the Air Force during the Vietnam Conflict and, while serving, completed a degree in Criminal Justice from Park University, trained and served as an auditor in the Air Force accounting and finance office, and got a real estate license.

After the Air Force, Larry went to law school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and opened Pace & Wilson, a private law practice. He practiced law in the private sector for 13 years and was a contract public defender for both Missouri and Kansas as well as handling conflict cases in the U.S. Courts. He was recruited to work for the Federal Government in 1996, working as an Assistant Federal Public Defender for 19 years. He was subsequently hired to handle the defense in Death Penalty Litigation and also worked on Organized Crime and Multi- State Litigation.

Throughout these years, Larry engaged in numerous charitable activities. He and his wife created ECAP Enterprises, which worked with various golf organizations and tournaments to aid veterans and children's charities. He worked with Gideons International, making presentations and distributing Bibles. He also obtained Federal Firearms License and sold guns and helped to train "conceal carry" individuals.

Upon his first wife's death, he endowed a scholarship at the University of Arizona College of Nursing. He continued to pursue other charitable work, including board memberships, and, met his wife, Bonnie, through work with the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona. Together, they continue extensive charitable and church work.


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