Helen Skipper

Helen Skipper (“Skip”) has been working in peer support since her release from incarceration in 2007. She previously served as the senior manager of peer services at the New York City Criminal Justice Agency, where she was intentional about creating space for individuals with lived experiences. Skip was also formerly a community research assistant at Urban Institute where she worked on several research initiatives representing community voices and lived experiences. She currently serves as a consultant at Urban Institute. In March 2022, Skip became the founding executive director at the NYC Justice Peer Initiative. She is considered a national subject-matter expert.

Skip is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Criminology and Deviance. She intends to pursue a Ph.D in criminology and as a student member of the American Society of Criminology has already presented at several of the annual conferences. She has also been accepted for authorship in several academic publications. In addition, Skip is a Beyond-the-Bars 20/21 Fellow, a Justice-in-Education scholar at Columbia University, and a 2024 Bard Public Health Fellow.

Skip previously held several leadership positions as the inaugural executive chair of the NYC Peer Workforce Coalition and an executive team member of the NYC Justice Peer Initiative. Skip was also previously the inaugural peer supervisor for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She lives by her mantra: “I’ve been around the block a time or two on my tricycle and use those lived experiences to color my world while assisting, supporting, advocating, and navigating for those still caught up in the oppressive and broken criminal justice system!”