Ashley Avery
Ashley Avery is a queer feminist, activist, mother and poet. She is currently the executive director of Coverdale Courtwork Society, a non-profit community based organization that provides services and supports to women and trans people who are involved in the criminal justice system in Nova Scotia. She holds an Honours Diploma in Social Service Work from Seneca College as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies from Mount Saint Vincent University and was the recipient of the Book Prize in Women’s Studies which is awarded to the top graduating student in the department. For her Masters Thesis, Ashley, under the supervision of El Jones and Dr. Rachel Zellers, Ashley is studying the experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ persons who are involved in the criminal justice system in Nova Scotia. Having worked directly with criminalized women and trans people over the past 6 years, Ashley has become acutely aware of the ways in which gender identity and sexuality in the carceral context are marginalized from both service provision and scholarly inquiry. She hopes to elucidate the injustices that queer and trans people endure within the justice system, whilst contributing to local prison abolition discourse using an intersectional feminist praxis.
Courtney Connor
Originally from Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Courtney completed her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology & Criminal Justice with High Honours at Carleton University. Courtney’s passion for youth leadership and community development has led her to the non-profit sector where she has worked in a myriad of roles supporting children and youth, most recently with Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia as Director, Entrepreneurship & Specialty Programs. Courtney also volunteers with the MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning with the Board of Directors, Program Committee and Facilitating the Gender & Sexuality Alliance Program. Courtney intends to focus her research on barriers to health and health education for 2SLBGTQ+ youth in Nova Scotia.