Staff

Stella Cziment – Independent Police Monitor

Stella Cziment is an advocate and attorney dedicated to serving the city of New Orleans. Stella was appointed to be the Independent Police Monitor for the City of New Orleans by the Ethics Review Board in April 2022. Previously, Stella served as the Deputy Independent Police Monitor under Susan Hutson. As the Acting Independent Police Monitor, Stella oversees the Complaints and Misconduct work conducted by OIPM, monitors disciplinary proceedings, advises the NOPD leadership on policy and investigative best practices along with high level projects and policing tactics, and works with governmental and community partners on policing initiatives and issues. Since becoming the Acting Independent Police Monitor, Stella as released reports on the compliance of policing during Hurricane Ida and the selection and promotion process of the 15 new NOPD captains in the winter of 2021.

Prior to her work at OIPM, Stella was the Director of Enrollment Transitions for the Recovery School District and the Director of the Student Hearing Office for the Orleans Parish School Board. As a director within the school districts, Stella coordinated a team and oversaw the operation of the Student Hearing Office, the Hardship Transfer process, the enrollment of students returning from adult incarceration or other system related breaks in education, and the enrollment and transfer of students receiving SPED services. Stella’s efforts resulted in a 33% reduction in expulsion hearings for two school years in a row. Prior to her work at the school district, Stella defended residents of New Orleans in Criminal District Court and Orleans Municipal Court as a public defender. Stella attended Tulane University Law School where she clerked for the community development division of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington D.C. and the New Orleans office of the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission.

Bonycle Sokunbi – Deputy Police Monitor

Kirschelle Williams is an attorney, educator, and criminal legal reform advocate with more than a decade of experience investigating wrongful convictions, promoting accountability, and advancing justice in Louisiana.

Prior to joining the Office of the Independent Police Monitor, Kirschelle spent more than ten years with Innocence Project New Orleans (IPNO), now known as Innocence & Justice Louisiana, where she helped secure the release and exoneration of wrongfully convicted individuals across the state. Through her work with IPNO, she helped establish the Wrongful Conviction Clinic at LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center. The clinic was dedicated to teaching law students how to review post-conviction DNA cases, identify potential evidence for testing, and develop the investigative and litigation skills necessary to pursue wrongful conviction claims. As a supervising attorney and adjunct professor for six semesters, she guided students through hands-on casework that blended classroom learning with meaningful real-world impact.

Before her time at LSU, Kirschelle served as an adjunct professor at Southern University Law Center, where she taught Legal Analysis and Writing and Pre-Law Legal Writing, helping aspiring attorneys strengthen their research, writing, and advocacy skills.

Kirschelle earned her Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center in 2012 and was admitted to practice law in Louisiana later that year. While in law school, she served as a student attorney in the Juvenile Defense Clinic and was a member of Law Review.

A proud New Orleans native, Kirschelle often jokes that the most important education she received was at 1331 Kerlerec Street— the former home of McDonogh 35 College Preparatory High School.

Renee Livious – Office Manager

Renee’ Livious joined the Office of the Independent Police Monitor in January 2016. Renee’ holds an M.A. in Accountancy and a B.A. in Accounting from the University of Phoenix. She is the proud mother of three sons and a loving wife. She enjoys bowling and sports. She is a military brat who has traveled the world with her parents while they served in the United States Air Force. She has lived on and off in New Orleans since a child.

Jules Griff – Director of the Community-Police Mediation Program

Jules Griff is a mediator, facilitator, restorative approaches specialist, and trainer. Jules serves as the New Orleans Community-Police Mediation Program Director, overseeing all program operations including policy, evaluation, mediator training and development, outreach, and case management. Jules has worked with the CPMP since 2015 as a mediator and coordinator and has served as program director since 2017. Jules is a Certified Mediator in the Inclusive Model of Mediation and a Community Conferencing facilitator and trainer of Restorative Approaches. She is a volunteer with the Center for Restorative Approaches, providing conflict resolution in New Orleans schools. She proudly serves on the Board of Directors of the Re-entry Mediation Institute of Louisiana (REMILA) and the Louisiana Collaborative for Conflict & Accountability (LCCA). Jules received a BA in history and humanistic studies from McGill University in Montreal.

Christian Jamal – Misconduct & Force Specialist

Christian Jamal joined the Office of the Independent Police Monitor as the Misconduct and Force Specialist in July 2022. Christian obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Tulane University, double majoring in Communication and Political Science. Christian attended Tulane University Law School where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree. While at Tulane Law School, Christian performed pro-bono work for the New Orleans Entertainment Law Legal Assistance Project and also participated in current City Councilmember Lesli Harris’s Trademark Lab, providing assistance to local businesses and artists in their applications for Trademarks. During his 3L year, Christian began work with the Office of the Independent Police Monitor as a student extern. Christian has been an advocate for criminal justice reform and has worked at various criminal justice-focused organizations since he arrived in New Orleans in 2015.

Kiah Howard – Community and Project Coordinator

Kiah joined the Office of the Independent Police Monitor after spending more than a decade working in Louisiana’s criminal legal system. She served as an investigator with Orleans Public Defenders and later with Innocence & Justice Louisiana (formerly Innocence Project New Orleans), where she conducted complex investigations involving criminal cases. Through this work, she developed extensive experience navigating the intersection of public safety, accountability, and community trust.

As OIPM’s Community and Project Coordinator, Kiah supports community engagement initiatives, outreach efforts, special projects, and public education programs designed to strengthen relationships between the community and law enforcement oversight. Her background in investigative work and client-centered advocacy informs her approach to building meaningful connections with residents and stakeholders throughout New Orleans.

Originally from Wisconsin, Kiah has called New Orleans home for nearly 13 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Accountability breeds response-ability.