Jenn Batterton, Director

Office of Community Safety and Justice

Jenn Batterton is the Director of the Office of Community Safety and Justice at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS), where she leads the office in advancing countywide, community-driven approaches to public health and safety. The office oversees initiatives focused on community violence prevention and intervention, improvements to criminal justice and behavioral health crisis systems, and strategies that expand deflection, diversion, and reentry supports. Through cross-agency collaboration and strong community partnerships, the office promotes equitable, data-informed solutions that strengthen safety and wellbeing throughout Allegheny County. 

Jenn’s background spans nonprofit leadership and legal practice, including clerking for Justice Christine Donohue of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and practicing law in New York City, where she represented clients in criminal and regulatory matters and advocated for low income tenants. Before entering the legal field, she worked in supportive housing, homelessness prevention, and prisoner reentry services in New York City. She holds a JD from Columbia Law School and a BA from Northwestern University.