Assia Serrano served 17 years of an 18-to-life sentence and was released on May 4th, 2021 through the DVSJA. She is an Osborne Speakers Bureau member who uses her personal experiences to advocate for criminal justice reform including policies and practices that support children with incarcerated parents.

As a parent advocate at the New York State Bedford Hills Correctional Facility Parenting Center, Assia facilitated prenatal classes and taught mothers how to parent from a distance. Assia advocated for mothers to have opportunities to be involved in their children's lives, including participating in parent-teacher conferences and increasing communication and visits with their children.

Assia is a proud mother of two teenagers and is a fierce advocate for her own and other children who have experienced parental incarceration. She continues parenting her children from afar (Panama) since being deported after her release.