National Public Citizen of The Year
Justyna Rzewinski, LCSW, PhD
Justyna Rzewinski, LCSW, PhD, is a forensic social worker, educator, and an advocate for individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. She is the founder of Justice Journey Wellness, a trauma-informed, justice-centered practice serving clients in New York and Virginia, where she provides therapy, forensic assessments, and advocacy for individuals and families navigating complex legal and mental health challenges.
Justyna earned her Bachelor of Arts in Forensic Psychology from ohn Jay College of Criminal Justice and her Master of Social Work from Hunter College. She is a PhD candidate whose research examines how social workers’ knowledge of voting rights shapes their engagement with justice-impacted clients, highlighting the profession’s critical role in advancing civic inclusion and dismantling systemic barriers to participation.
As an adjunct instructor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Long Island University, Justyna brings lived professional experience into the classroom, challenging students to critically examine the intersection of social work, ethics, and the criminal legal system. She specializes in working with individuals impacted by the criminal legal system, including those convicted of sexual offenses, with a focus on reducing stigma, promoting accountability, and advancing evidence-informed, human-centered care.
As a former Clinical Supervisor at Rikers Island, Justyna witnessed firsthand the systemic failures of one of the nation’s most notorious jail systems. She later came forward as a whistleblower, exposing the practice of prolonged isolation, commonly referred to as “deadlocking,” in which individuals with serious mental health needs were confined to their cells for extended periods with little to no access to meaningful care. Her advocacy contributed to formal investigations by the Department of Investigation (DOI) and helped drive policy-level scrutiny and reform efforts related to the use of isolation and access to mental health care within the jail system.
;Beyond her clinical and academic work, Justyna is deeply engaged in policy advocacy and systems reform efforts focused on mental health, incarceration, and community healing. She is a member of Social Workers and Allies Against Solitary Confinement, advocating for the end of prolonged isolation and the expansion of humane, trauma-informed responses within correctional systems. She is also part of the Treatment Court Expansion Act coalition, which works to advance policies that increase access to mental health courts and treatment-centered alternatives for individuals involved in the criminal legal system.
She is also a member of Freedom Agenda, supporting efforts to close Rikers Island and reimagine community-based alternatives to incarceration. Drawing from both her clinical expertise and firsthand experience working within correctional settings, she has testified before the New York City Council and the Senate to inform policy discussions and advocate for systemic reform, mental health equity, and dignity for justice-impacted individuals.