A Word From Our Executive Director

The most devastating and impactful experience was the untimely death of my TWIN sister at the age of 27. I was with her sleeping in bed and awoke to her silent and cold. She had been sick and also dealing with depression, and in the prior year, drug use. I tried to save her that night, and nights before, but her bright light ended tragically from a drug interaction. Her passing included being questioned by police at the hospital, and later a call from the prosecutor asking for my thoughts in charging the person who had supplied her the drug. While I was too fragile at the time to hold this conversation (I only heard the voicemail). I did not think jail time was the answer nor do I think today that the emphasis in such matters should fall so heavily on the family’s opinion, and especially while managing their own shock and grief. I do believe the system should continue to work towards a transformative approach at all stages of mitigation, prosecution, and care.

My inspiration to create TWI came from a year as a pretrial coordinator at the Costello Courthouse in Burlington, VT. While ‘good’ could be found, there was so much to be done that could not be done within systems dependent on grants and contracts with agencies that left particular people out of their theoretical framework of care. I also identified the most vulnerable population, specifically those managing homelessness without a positive support system and with severe mental health diagnoses as being the ones without a structured process of care while navigating the criminal justice system. With that I started my own LLC to provide individual counseling and screenings for those in the jails and community to supply a treatment plan.

Soon after I began COVID-19 hit and all in-person care and support within the criminal and restorative justice systems stopped. I did not. I identified recommendations to keep myself and others safe, and though there were no guarantees I took on the influx of retained cases by the Defender General’s Office to support legal mitigation. I specifically worked with the most vulnerable clients coming out of jail without homes or wrap-around services to address their needs. By April 2022 I had selected TWIs board and we became a nonprofit. As of 2023 I have been retained or provided pro bono over 3,000 hours of services. I have created more than 100 release and community support plans, and have personally transported clients from jails throughout Vermont to bring them to residential treatment, shelters, identified homes, and, when needed, personally covered the cost of motel rooms.

I do not believe in punitive measures but instead a therapeutic and honest process that is with patience, time, and nonjudgmental care. I believe everyone is worthy of services and TWI will hold a space where fear does not guide the approach. I hope my story allows you some context of who I am and how we came to be; thank you for reading and may we all work together to create positive change!

Thank you for visiting TWI’s website! My name is Crystal Barry and I am the Executive Director and current President of our Board. I am proud of this role and dedicated to changing the challenges I have seen within the criminal justice system AND all systems of care. I am certain with time TWI will address these things through action, through our services, but first let me tell you who I am. I was born in Burlington, VT and spent the first 21 years of my life in Vermont. I graduated from Rice Memorial High School in 2000, received my BS in Psychology from Fordham University in 2005, my Master’s Certificate in Nonprofit Management in 2011, and my MA in Clinical Psychology from Saint Michael’s College in 2018. My education has afforded me a number of opportunities, but it is my life experiences that truly shaped who I am.

I always knew that I would find a way to help and to seek justice for those who needed it most. Although shy as a child I was troubled by anyone being left out or bullied. If someone even appeared in need I quickly went to their defense. As a young girl I made friends with children who needed a friend; as a teen, I called out racism and sexism to anyone, regardless of whether you were family or an authority figure. Following my graduation from Fordham, I traveled to Lebanon and Syria amidst war and right after the assassination of Lebanon’s Prime Minister to support the population experiencing tragedy, and next to Kenya to volunteer in the slums. My travels and experiences helped me realize that the world is my home and we are all the solution and/or reasoning for why we are where we are as a unit. This remains true in my work today.