MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Marshan is the Vice President of Advocacy & Partnerships at  Represent Justice, an organization that started as an impact campaign inspired by the life and legacy of Bryan Stevenson and launched in December 2019 alongside the Warner Bros. theatrical release of Just Mercy. Before joining Represent Justice, Marshan was a Research & Policy Fellow with Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP). Prior to joining FJP, he was the Policy Director for Restore Justice Foundation (RJ).

Marshan received a sentence of life-without-parole for an offense that occurred when he was 15 years of age but was released after almost 25 years because of the US Supreme Court’s decision in Miller vs. Alabama. While incarcerated, he assisted the Illinois State Bar Association with the 2006 revision of Post-Trial Remedies: A Handbook for Illinois’ Prisoners. He has earned certificates in paralegal studies, business management, computer technology, and restorative justice, and he holds an associate degree from Lake Land College, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. In August 2020, Marshan graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with a bachelor’s in Justice Policy & Advocacy.

In 2018, the Illinois Judges Association presented Marshan with the Recognition of Excellence in Outreach Award, for participating in Your Future, Your Choice, a program designed to teach school-aged children about aspects of the law that they often find themselves in conflict with. In 2019, Marshan received the Liberty Bell Award  from the Chicago Bar Association and the Grace Warren Award from the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY), where he currently serves on the Board of Directors.

In February 2020, Marshan was appointed by the Governor of Illinois to the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, a federally mandated State Advisory Group to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois Department of Human Services. He is also an active member of the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN) and the National LWOP Leadership Council. Marshan is currently attending Chicago-Kent College of law on a full-tuition scholarship.