Anita Colon (she/her) is a human rights and juvenile justice advocate who grew up in the Spring Garden section of Philadelphia and attended J.R. Masterman High School. She went on to major in Criminal Justice and obtained a Master’s Degree in Human Services from Lincoln University. In addition to serving as Treasurer on the ALC Board, Anita currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Campaign for Fair Sentencing of Youth.

In these roles, Anita advocates for juvenile justice reform in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States, specifically the elimination of juvenile life without the possibility of parole (JLWOP). Anita’s advocacy work came about as a result of her brother, Robert Saleem Holbrook’s, life without parole sentence for a crime he was convicted of participating in on his 16th birthday. Robert was released in 2018 after serving for 27 years and now leads ALC.

Anita has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives and the PA Senate and House Judiciary Committees concerning the elimination of Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentencing. Anita also testified regarding JLWOP before the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland at the CURE International Human Rights Conference on Prison Reform.  She also served on the PA Lt. Governor’s Board of Pardons Advisory Council (LGBOPAC) as well as the 2012 Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission Juvenile Act Advisory Committee which provided a report recommending changes to the existing laws as they relate to juvenile offenders.