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Norma Cumpian, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition’s (ARC) Women’s Department Director, joined ARC in March 2016 as a Life Coach after nearly five years working in the criminal justice reform and nonprofit sector. As a formerly incarcerated woman, Cumpian has firsthand experience in the many challenges of reentry, making her a compassionate and effective guide for people navigating society after returning home from prison.
Cumpian is an unrelenting advocate for incarcerated women and girls. She has traveled to the California State Capitol to educate legislators, spoken on panels, and presented in numerous classrooms in order to affect change for incarcerated women, mothers, and girls and to create a fairer justice system for all. In 2019, she co-designed and launched ARC’s first Women’s Services department to better serve the needs of 1,300+ formerly and currently incarcerated members.
In 2020 she was the appointed by Governor Newsom, with senate approval, to sit on the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC). She was reappointed for a second term in 2023. In all of her work, she is most proud to continue to carve out spaces to ensure formerly incarcerated voices are heard and valued.