Molly Pickard

Molly is a Research Manager at the California Policy Lab where she manages CPL’s criminal legal portfolio.

Molly began volunteering to teach classes in her local prison ten years ago and decided to dedicate her life and career to working with individuals who have been incarcerated. She is interested in helping move forward research and policies that aim at reducing the harm caused by our legal system, and helping find alternatives to incarceration that are beneficial to both individuals and communities alike. Molly’s work at CPL primarily involves working with California’s Committee on Revision of the Penal Code, where she is helping CPL generate research that informs Committee policy recommendations.

She is the co-author of several CPL reports related to the criminal legal system in California, including research on crime trends and the impact of Three Strike Laws.

Prior to joining CPL, she was the Research and Policy Manager at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office under Larry Krasner, where she aimed to increase transparency surrounding prosecutorial policies and practices and where she also managed relationships with external research partners.

Molly holds an MSW and MSSP from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from St. John’s College. Outside of work Molly is an avid reader and movie watcher, loves to go on hikes, and is interested in most things art related.