Lisa D. Daniels is an advocate, leader, and speaker in the field of restorative justice who helps individuals and families find healing in the aftermath of violence and crime. After the death of her youngest son, Darren, whom she lost to gun violence in 2012, her own journey toward healing inspired her advocacy work. She is the founder of the Darren B. Easterling Center for Restorative Practices (The Center), a nonprofit organization that seeks to transform the effects of violent crime and mass incarceration on communities of color by providing trauma-informed therapeutic support to those who have been directly impacted.  

In 2018, she was appointed by the Governor of Illinois to serve as a member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, a quasi-judicial body that makes decisions regarding parole, conduct, and executive clemency of incarcerated individuals, where she served until January 2023.  

Lisa has spoken on issues surrounding restorative justice, criminal justice reform, trauma resolution, and life after loss in both media and institutions including the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, and the National Network for Safe Communities.  Lisa currently serves on the Illinois Sentencing Advisory Council (SPAC) and the Council on Criminal Justice.