In 2005, Dionne’s police officer husband was shot and killed in the line of duty. Though the shooter was convicted and sent to Death Row, the experience changed Dionne’s perspective on the justice system. She saw first hand the ineffective and costly results of investing in strategies that focus on incarceration rather than preventing crime. In 2012, she began volunteering as a survivor advocate for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice and in 2014, she joined the staff of Californians for Safety and Justice, expanding her role and working with survivors to elevate their calls for smarter justice policies. She lives in Brentwood, CA.
