Vivianne Guevara is the Director of Social Work and Mitigation at the Federal Defenders Office in the Eastern District of New York. Vivianne has been a social worker in public defense for over twelve years. She was previously an Investigator and Social Worker at the Southern Center of Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia, where she supported litigation that challenged conditions in juvenile and adults prisons, the provision of indigent defense, and the proliferation of debtor's prisons. Vivianne began working in public defense as a Social Worker at The Bronx Defenders in 2007, where she worked with people who faced charges in domestic violence and mental health courts. While working towards her MSW, Vivianne conducted street outreach at the Bowery Resident's Committee where she worked one-on-one with individuals experiencing homelessness on the streets and in the subways of New York City. Vivianne practices restorative and transformative justice, and facilitates circles with public defense, schools, universities, coalitions, community members, and private and non-profit organizations. She continues to learn through teaching others and by providing opportunities that promote community and healing

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