Board of Directors
Meet the Board
Meet Leslea Miller, President
Leslea Miller is a seasoned hairstylist with over 30 years of experience, making her mark in Arlington, Texas, where she owns and operates her own salon. A devoted grandmother to three, she finds joy in the quiet moments of life—whether nurturing her garden, spending weekends with her grandchildren, or losing herself in the intricate challenge of jigsaw puzzles. A woman of many talents, Leslea is also a gifted photographer, capturing the world through her unique lens, and a natural storyteller, both behind and in front of the microphone.
But Leslea’s life has been shaped by a story far deeper than her many passions. At just 11 years old, her world was forever changed when her father was arrested on four counts of capital murder—a crime he did not commit. Despite their unwavering efforts to prove his innocence, he was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death in 1984. During those 31 years, Leslea and her family fought tirelessly to exonerate him, but in 2015, the state of Texas carried out his execution. This profound loss was compounded in 2020 when her mother, Shari Bower, published a memoir—Before They Executed Him—detailing their family’s harrowing journey, only to pass away eight months later.
Through it all, Leslea has remained steadfast in her commitment to honoring her parents’ legacy. She carries their story with grace and determination, sharing her life experiences to inspire and educate others. Leslea’s resilience, creativity, and unwavering love for her family are a testament to the strength of the human spirit, and her voice continues to echo the truth of a life marked by both tragedy and triumph.
Meet David Mike, Vice President
David Mike is a Christ follower, husband, father, author, cancer survivor, and cosmetology instructor in Omaha, Nebraska. David is passionate about sharing the message that we do not have to be defined by our past and that God can use our kind of mess for good. He is the author of Dishonor: One Soldier's Journey from Desertion to Redemption.
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Meet Kat Browning, Treasurer
Kat Browning is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who has been dedicated to serving vulnerable populations since 2017. With a passion for supporting at-risk individuals, Kat has worked extensively with youth in Oklahoma’s Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) custody, providing guidance and therapeutic support to help them navigate challenges and build a brighter future.
Since becoming a fully licensed counselor in 2020, Kat has remained committed to trauma-informed care and trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Kat hopes to continue advocating for this population by providing transitional housing solutions that offer stability and healing for those in need.
In addition to clinical work, Kat serves as the Treasurer for Crime & Compassion Inc., further demonstrating a commitment to restorative justice, regaining independence, confidence, and community support.
Kat continues to work toward healing and growth from the bottom up, to create a safe space for the unseen to be heard and valued.
Meet Amanda Bass, Director of Development & Communications
Amanda Bass works in marketing and instructional design, where she’s honed her expertise in communication, design, and storytelling; skills she now channels into advancing Crime & Compassion Inc.’s mission. She believes that literature can be a bridge between worlds, fostering understanding, healing, and human connection.
Amanda holds a Bachelor’s degree in literary analysis and has spent her career shaping brand voices, developing creative campaigns, and building educational resources that help people feel seen and supported. Her work blends data-driven strategy with heart, ensuring every project she touches connects meaning with measurable impact.
Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Amanda carries the desert’s quiet strength and sense of renewal into everything she does. A writer, artist, and new mom, she finds inspiration in the small, ordinary moments that reveal extraordinary humanity. She believes that stories, when shared with honesty and compassion, can change the course of a life, one reader at a time.
Meet Janey Merry, Secretary
Janey Merry is a children’s picture book author. She lives in Oklahoma City with her son, Luke, and their many pets. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Oklahoma, majoring in early childhood education. An Okie girl who loves traveling (especially to the beach!) and has a special place in her heart for Japanese culture, she’s a true romantic who swoons over every happily-ever-after.
Janey is the author of “In Stitches”, a short story in the anthology Shivers in the Night, the children’s picture book, Ready, Set, Sloth!, the whimsically fun activity book, Ready, Set, Color!, and the comic series, “The Cavity-Free Club.” She is set to publish her newest children’s picture book, Greener Pastures: A Story of Idioms, in 2026.
Meet Mike Savage, Director of Education
Mike Savage served 15 years in federal prison. He is a former criminal mastermind. (That’s what the federal government called him. They can be very mean.) Mike is the author of the award-winning memoir,
A Prisoner’s Perspective: The Redemption of a Criminal Mastermind. (You can probably guess what the book is about.)
Currently, he serves as Vice-President of Student Life and Chair of the Counseling Program at Bridges Christian College and Seminary. He has earned doctorates in both Theology and Psychology.
He is married to Cynthia Savage. They have three children and eight grandsons. He is very funny and has a cool beard.
Meet Matthew Billings,
Director of Creative Justice Initiatives
Matthew Billings serves as the Director of Creative Justice Initiatives for Crime & Compassion Inc., where he builds meaningful avenues for expression, healing, and transformation for incarcerated women. As a student with plans to major in music composition, Matthew brings a deep appreciation for performance and storytelling to his work, believing that art, both literary and visual, is a powerful tool for connection and personal liberation.
Coming from a family in which multiple relatives have been incarcerated, Matthew’s commitment to Crime & Compassion Inc.’s mission is truly personal. His lived experience informs his passion for programs that honor humanity, amplify marginalized voices, and foster rehabilitation through creativity. With a strong love for the arts, Matthew is dedicated to advancing initiatives that center dignity, compassion, and artistic freedom.
Matthew is the co-founder of LOUD (Live Out Ur Devotion), a youth ministry based out of central Oklahoma, as well as a drummer in multiple worship bands across the state. Matthew also performs with his school’s choir, theater, and band programs. He loves all animals and the serenity of the natural world.
On the Inside Board Members
Meet Crystal
Crystal Avilla is the author of many poems, short stories, and journalistic works that have appeared in a variety of publications. She has spent the last twenty-six years in Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud, Oklahoma, writing and honing her craft. Her second novel, Ground Zero, is currently available on Amazon, and she is hard at work on the next. Crystal is a founding editor for the national award-winning Mabel Bassett Balance, the facility’s first-ever newspaper, as well as a proud co-facilitator for Writers Guild Advanced & Beginners, where she helps aspiring novelists. She is also the 2025 winner of the Axley Creative Writing Award from Rose State College—her white whale—where she kept taking classes long after graduation just so she qualified for the honor. Her short story, “A Home for the Nooni,” is featured in Unbound Ink: Of Mercy and Madness, Volume I.
Meet Ashe
Ashe Marks is a horror and women’s fiction author. They had started as a poet with a couple of published works and have since transitioned to short stories. Their first full-length novel, From Summer to Wynter, will appear on shelves in late 2026.
You will find Ashe at home loving on one of their many bird children, tattooing themself, or concocting a plot twist that will have you guessing until the very end.
“For Inmate Consumption Only” is featured in Unbound Ink: Of Mercy and Madness, Volume I.
Meet Jax
A lifelong educator and creative force, Jax has spent over two decades teaching in correctional settings at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center. Though officially “retired” from the Education Department, she remains deeply active—now teaching more than ever. She currently facilitates Special Needs Education through Mental Health Services, leading peer tutoring programs that serve incarcerated women with medical, mental health, behavioral, and language barriers.
As coordinator of the C3 unit’s Art Guild, she manages staff, inventory, and fundraising while teaching daily arts and crafts classes, fine art, art therapy, and Native American beading. Her passion for creativity extends into spiritual, therapeutic, and practical domains—she co-leads Buddhist services, offers life coaching, teaches botany and agricultural techniques, and contributes to writing programs like Poetic Justice and the Prison Journalism Project, where she also serves as an editor.
She holds degrees in English Education and Journalism, along with certifications in life coaching, paralegal studies, peer facilitation in cognitive behavioral therapy, and electrical work. Her poetry has been featured in Poetry Unbound and Flying Kites, and her anthology Felonious explores her early prison years. Her current novel-in-progress, An Aptitude for Vengeance, is a dystopian epic she envisions as a trilogy.
A lover of high fantasy and dystopian literature, she finds solace in complex stories with moral weight—mirroring her own work in fostering growth and self-expression through education and art. Her belief in “dirt therapy” and the power of planting—both literal and metaphorical—speaks to her mission: to leave behind a harvest of healing, creativity, and hope.
She is a co-facilitator for Writers Guild Advanced and a Crime & Compassion Inc. inside board member.
Inside Board Members Photography by Lisa Loftus — lisaloftus.com