News 12 continues to highlight New Jersey's diverse Hispanic communities, leaders, and organizations throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, including Veronica Allende, director of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.

Before becoming the director, Allende served as a deputy attorney general and an Essex County prosecutor. In 2018, she made history as the first Hispanic director of the DCJ.

“Not only am I just a figurehead and then first Hispanic director, but I'm someone who deeply cares about the work that we do,” says Allende. “Where there is diversity, there is just a sense of interconnectedness in the community. I think that we have made so many strides in the past several years, and but we have some work that we have left to do too. So, we partake in those efforts as the Division of Criminal Justice, and we'll continue on those efforts."