As a social worker, Ashley was especially focussed on developing programs for young people in the juvenile justice and foster care systems facing mental health issues. The 39-year-old is also a huge advocate for criminal justice reform. During her time at the Delaware Centre for Justice, she created programs for incarcerated women and public education, worked with victims of crime and young offenders, and combatted gun violence.
Her work with Livelihood also supports criminal justice reform and tackles economic disparities within communities. "These issues have always been really important to me," Ashley said in an interview with The Washington Post last year. "It's what I do and what I'm passionate about. My career is about policy reform."
Image Source: Getty / Gary Gershoff