Dr. Brashani Reece

Co-Founder & Executive Director

Bio

It’s rare for a survivor of violent crime to become a leading advocate for the very people the system is designed to punish. But Dr. Brashani Reece's journey is far from typical.

As the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Drop LWOP New England, Dr. Reece's path to activism began after she survived an attempted murder. She was told the criminal justice system’s only answer was to lock away her attacker for life. She realized this solution offered nothing for her own healing, so she sought a different path - one that recognizes redemption is real.

Dr. Reece’s commitment grew as she became a trained facilitator, working with incarcerated people and witnessing the transformative power of accountability and personal growth. She now co-leads Drop LWOP New England with her husband, Steven "Farooq" Quinlan, who is serving a life without parole sentence in Rhode Island. Her work is a testament to the belief that healing is possible and that even the most extreme sentences are not a solution. 

Backed by her doctorate in forensic psychology and a twelve-year career studying violence, Dr. Reece brings both a scholar’s rigor and a survivor’s empathy to the fight against extreme prison sentences.