YSRP Welcomes Interim Executive Director, Bianca van Heydoorn

On February 15th, 2022, the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project (YSRP) welcomed Interim Executive Director, Bianca van Heydoorn. As one of YSRP’s most generous and committed supporters, Bianca comes to YSRP as an established, respected, and trusted leader in the Criminal Justice field. With an undergraduate degree in Correctional Sociology and a graduate degree in Criminal Justice, Bianca built a career informed by research and driven by values.

For two decades, Bianca van Heydoorn has worked tirelessly, in both New York City and Philadelphia, to improve outcomes for those harmed by criminal and carceral systems. Early in her career, she worked directly with adolescents; developed programs to intervene in commercial sexual exploitation, prepare teens for employment, help returned citizens engage in post-secondary education; and influenced policy related to conditions of confinement. In her last two positions, she has administered significant academic and reentry program portfolios in both university and government settings, most recently at Philadelphia’s Office of Reentry Partnerships. This depth of experience, and her alignment with YSRP’s racial justice values, made Bianca the clear choice to serve as YSRP’s Interim Executive Director.

Bianca looks forward to working with YSRP during this moment of transition and is excited about collaborating with a strong and invested team. Since moving to Philadelphia, Bianca reports she has been “enamored by the client-centered and values-driven work of YSRP.” She is inspired by the fact that “YSRP is tackling the most difficult part of the fight against the incarceration of youth.” YSRP is awed by her appreciation of our values and deep knowledge of our work.

As Bianca steps into this important interim role, YSRP’s Board of Directors will launch a national search to find the organization’s next leader. We are thankful to have an incredible community of client-partners, staff, collaborators, and donors that have come together to build the vibrant organization that exists today. YSRP is delighted to have Bianca van Heydoorn’s leadership during this time and look forward to communicating continued progress in our search for the next Executive Director.