Women’s Prison Association Appoints Meg Egan As New Chief Executive Officer

The Women’s Prison Association (WPA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Meg Egan as the new Chief Executive Officer starting Monday, September 9, 2024.

Meg joins the organization from an esteemed career in the public safety sector, where she has been a visionary leader working on criminal legal system reform, with most of that work centering on decarceration and improving the conditions of jails. An advocate for women affected by incarceration, she brings nearly 20 years of experience and expertise to WPA.

Egan comes to WPA from serving as Chief Operating Officer at Fountain House, where she managed the operationalization of the organization’s ambitious strategic plan to connect the 14 million people across the United States living with serious mental illness to community.

Previously, she served as Executive Director of the New York City Board of Correction where she provided strategic leadership and management of the oversight body of the New York City’s $1.4 billion dollar jail system, its 11,000+ staff, and jail population of nearly 6,000, managing a nine-member board, a staff of 32 and a budget of $3.3 million.

Meg believes WPA can build on its legacy of prison reform and become an even more prominent leader on this issue. She sees WPA as a key player in this space, among many government and not-for-profit partners, and that the organization can use evidence showing that few women, if any, need to be incarcerated.

“I have spent my career working in and around the legal and human services systems, in policy and operations roles, and have seen firsthand the importance of community-based services and support for women, their families, and their communities,” Egan stated. “I am excited for the opportunity to lead WPA in its next chapter, strategically building on its incredible history and legacy to provide the necessary support for the women working with WPA to thrive and, ultimately, end incarceration for women in New York and beyond.”

Meg has a juris doctorate from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, a Master of Arts in Public Policy & Administration from Northwestern University and a Master of Arts in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago.

“We are extremely happy to have Meg join WPA, and we look forward to working together on strategies to improve the lives of the women and families we serve. She brings an exemplary range of expertise to help WPA grow,” Board President Allison O’Keefe stated. “And we would like to thank our interim CEO, Joel Copperman who has led us through the last year of transition and hiring of our new CEO. He has worked tirelessly to continue the vital work of WPA.”

Women’s Prison Association believes all women should live safe, free, and independent lives. As race, poverty, and gender are primary drivers in the disproportionate criminalization of Black and brown women, leaving most homeless, unemployed, and struggling to survive, WPA is dedicated to advocating for and supporting systems-involved women as they establish, build, and maintain successful, vibrant lives for themselves, their families, and their communities’ post-incarceration.