Deaconess Pat N. Marks, Ph.D. is a Senior Program Analyst with the Corrections Information Council and a dedicated criminal justice advocate. She actively promotes criminal justice reform and effectively engages volunteers and faith communities in providing services and resources for children and their families. Pat serves on the Leadership Team of Putting Mercy into Criminal Justice. She is active in the Maryland Alliance for Justice Reform focusing on re-entry issues and in ReThink Justice DC envisioning a new criminal justice system based on restorative practices.

Prior to joining the CIC, Pat served on dozens of Kairos Prison Ministry teams in four prisons and as a volunteer lay chaplain in two prisons. She is a dynamic teacher and presenter; world traveler and returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Samoa). Pat previously served as Executive Director of Meeting Ground and the Cecil County Men’s; Prison Outreach Ministry; Northern Virginia Hotline, as Grants Specialist for Montgomery County Schools, and as Director of Development for the Carole Robertson Center for Learning. Beginning her career as a Research Associate for the National Academy of Sciences and Human Services Planner for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Pat has remained passionate about public-private partnerships and collaboration among social service providers.

Pat is a graduate of Leadership Maryland Class of 2002 and Leadership Fairfax (VA) Class of 1992. She received her doctorate in Education from the University of Maryland and holds Master’s degrees from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC and Wheelock College in Boston. Pat was commissioned as a Deaconess in 2005 concurrent to graduating from Wesley Theological Seminary and receiving the first Certificate in Missions for work in social justice.