Johnny Perez

Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Johnny Perez is the Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture’s U.S. Prisons Program. Johnny is a highly accomplished criminal justice reform advocate, public speaker, and thought leader in the field of ending torture and inhumane treatment in the U.S. prison system. As the Director of NRCAT’s U.S. Prisons Program, he champions an end to solitary confinement and equips faith communities and affected individuals to engage in education and legislative changes nationwide. Johnny represents NRCAT in several collaborative efforts with other organizations, including Unlock the Box, a national campaign to end solitary confinement, and the Federal Anti-Solitary Taskforce (FAST).

Johnny proudly serves on the Board of Directors of the National Multifaith Initiative to End Mass Incarceration, JusticeAid, New York City’s Urban Justice Center, and The Appeal. He is as an ambassador for the End The Exception Campaign and serves as an advisory board member for the DC-based Urban Institute’s Prison Research and Innovation Initiative. As a committee member to the ARCH Network Committee at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), he helps advance initiatives to improve the well-being of both incarcerated people and staff.

Johnny is dedicated to mitigating the profound effects of incarceration on individuals and society. His insights, including drawing from lessons learned during 13 years of incarceration, make Johnny a sough-after speaker for law schools and universities across the country, and media interviews and op-eds. In addition to his professional achievements, Johnny wears the hats of a devoted father, mentor to formerly incarcerated students at St. Francis College of Brooklyn (his alma mater), and founder of Day 1 Pictures, showcasing his talent in photography.