Social Work

Before joining the Innocence Project in 2020, Kyana held various positions with non-profit agencies in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Working with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds, she became aware of the negative impact that the justice system and incarceration can have on communities. As a social worker for New Jersey Reentry Corporation (NJRC), she assisted justice-involved and recently released clients as they navigated a maze of systems to reclaim and rebuild their lives. Kyana attended William Paterson University, earning her B.A. in African studies and a second B.A. in sociology, and Rutgers University School of Social Work, where she obtained her M.S.W and became a licensed social worker (LSW). Kyana is excited to contribute her experience and dedication to social justice and criminal justice reform to the Innocence Project.

Rodney Roberts, a native of Newark, New Jersey, wrongfully served 18 years in Rahway State Prison as a result of being coerced into pleading guilty to a crime he did not commit.

In spite of struggling with the immense feeling that came with pleading guilty, Rodney pushed forward with studying law and pursuing a higher education while falsely imprisoned. In 2014, as a pro se litigant and with the assistance of counsels and support from the Innocence Project, he was exonerated via DNA evidence. Since then, he has been on the frontline advocating for a more just criminal legal system, offering peer support to exonerees and their family members, and lending his experience to help pass legislation that addresses wrongful conviction.

Proudly, in 2022, Mr. Roberts was hired as the Innocence Project’s first re-entry coach under the guidance of the organization’s social work department. In this role, he continues to provide necessary care to those impacted by wrongful imprisonment — and share insights related to wrongful conviction.

Suzy Salamy works as a social worker, both locally and nationally with Innocence Network partner organizations, helping clients in their transition to life outside prison after wrongful incarceration. Previously, Suzy worked at the NYC Anti-Violence Project as the senior manager of the Clinical and Advocacy Programs, providing crisis intervention, counseling and advocacy to LGBTQ and HIV affected survivors of violence. She received her B.A. from Bard College and master’s in social work from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.