Ana Paula has a bachelor's degree in law and a master's in criminology and criminal justice from The University of Edinburgh. With over five years of professional experience in the judicial sector in Brazil as a Law Clerk, and a period working with Fondazione AVSI and AVSI Brazil focusing on projects connected to prison reform in Latin America, Ana Paula is currently part of the team of the Monitoring and Inspection Group of the Prison and Socio-educational Systems of the Court of Justice of the State of Santa Catarina. Before returning to the public sector, Ana Paula has been an associate to the Brazilian Institute of Criminal Sciences (IBCCRIM) and a member to the Criminal and Penitentiary Policy Commission of the São Paulo Bar Association and to the Penitentiary Affairs Committee of the Santa Catarina Bar Association. Ana Paula is a Salzburg Global Fellow.