Leadership Transition Announced for External Prison Oversight and Human Rights Network

Zinger, who has led the Network since its establishment in 2018, will be stepping down later this year. Under his guidance, the Network has grown to include over 100 active members representing 45 countries across every continent.

 

"Since our founding, we've achieved a great deal together," Zinger noted in his announcement. "Our greatest contribution has been bringing oversight and monitoring bodies into closer dialogue—building relationships, sharing lessons, and strengthening our common mission to increase transparency and accountability within carceral systems globally."

 

The Network's leadership will transition to the new team -  Michele Deitch will serve as Chair, with Alycia Welch as Deputy-Chair, and Kate Eves, OBE, joining as Special Advisor.

Michele Deitch, the incoming Chair, brings over 38 years of experience in criminal and juvenile justice policy. As a Distinguished Senior Lecturer at the University of Texas with appointments at both the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the School of Law, Deitch also serves as Director of PJIL. Her extensive background includes service as a federal court-appointed monitor of conditions in the Texas prison system and as General Counsel to the Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee.

 

Alycia Welch, who will serve as Vice-Chair, is the Associate Director of PJIL, where her scholarship focuses on the safe and humane treatment of people in custody. With experience directing a transitional housing program for women exiting incarceration and developing alternatives to incarceration for young adults, Welch has authored numerous nationally recognised reports on criminal justice reform.

 

Kate Eves joins the leadership team as Special Advisor, bringing international oversight experience as the former head of suicide and homicide investigations for the British Prisons Ombudsman. Recently awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2024 for her public service, Eves has worked with oversight organisations in both the UK and the US, including the NYC Board of Correction and the John Howard Association.

 

"Together, Michele, Alycia, and Kate are exceptionally well-positioned to build on our foundation and take the Network to new heights," Zinger stated in his announcement.

 

The formal transition will take place at the upcoming ICPA conference in Istanbul, which will mark Zinger's final appearance as the Correctional Investigator of Canada. The transition has received full support from the ICPA Executive Committee, with preparations already underway to ensure a seamless handover.

This new chapter promises to strengthen the Network's global impact while reinforcing its commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in correctional systems worldwide.