Violeta Alvarez - Communications/Public Relations

Violeta Alvarez grew up in a low-income neighborhood in San Diego County, about 15 miles from the U.S./Mexico Border. At an early age, she went through many personal obstacles, including incarceration, that ultimately led her to be passionate about criminal justice reform. She is a Latina and first-generation college student who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. She is now a J.D. Candidate at Hastings, College of the Law. She also has two sons, eleven and three-years old.  

As an undergrad, Violeta facilitated the Teach in Prison DeCal class. This class is student led and provided weekly lessons to UCB students and tutoring services to San Quentin Prison Education Program students. After obtaining her BA, Violeta was the first full-time Program Director for Berkeley Underground Scholars, the first program institutionalized at a UC campus serving formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students. It started as a grassroots organization that blossomed into a recognized program across the UC system. Just recently, Violeta served as one of the Co-chairs for La Raza Law Students Association at UC Hastings. Currently, she serves as the Acquisitions Editor for the Hastings Journal of Crime and Punishment.