TASK FORCE ON FEDERAL PRIORITIES
Council on Criminal Justice Task Forces are independent of the Council and solely responsible for the content of their reports. Task Force topics are selected by Council leadership and meetings are facilitated by Council staff and consultants, but neither the Board of Directors nor Board of Trustees approves or disapproves the findings and recommendations.
Diverse in backgrounds and perspectives, Task Force members strive to reach consensus on findings and policy proposals through private, nonpartisan discussions. Members are asked to join a consensus signifying that they endorse the general policy thrust and judgments reached by the group, though not necessarily every finding and recommendation. Task Force members may append to the group report an additional or dissenting view if they wish. Members participate in Task Forces in their individual, not their institutional, capacities, and professional affiliations included in Task Force reports do not imply institutional endorsement.
The 14-member Task Force on Federal Priorities is the Council’s first. It was convened from June 2019 through early March 2020 and was chaired by former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. Prior to his two terms as governor, Deal served 18 years in Congress and was a Georgia state legislator, a criminal and juvenile judge, and a prosecutor.
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Task force Members
Nathan deal (chair)
Former Governor of Georgia, Member of Congress, Georgia Legislator, Criminal and Juvenile Judge, Prosecutor
Eddie bocanegra
Senior Director, READI Chicago
steve chanenson
Professor, Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law; Editor, Federal Sentencing Reporter; Former Chair, Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission
mark holden
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Retired, Koch Industries, Inc.
Nancy La Vigne
Vice President of Justice Policy, Urban Institute; Former Executive Director, congressionally-created Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections (2016)
Janelle Melohn
Victim Services Director, Iowa Office of the Attorney General; President, National Association of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Assistance Administrators
Michael Nutter
Former Mayor of Philadelphia; former President, U.S. Conference of Mayors
Charles ramsey
Former Police Chief, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia
David Safavian
General Counsel, American Conservative Union, and Deputy Director, American Conservative Union Foundation Nolan Center for Justice; Former Chief of Staff, U.S. General Services Administration
Donald Stern
Of Counsel, Yurko, Salvesen & Remz; Former U.S. Attorney, Massachusetts
Christina Swarns
President and Attorney-in-Charge, Office of the Appellate Defender (New York City); Former Supervising Assistant Federal Defender (Philadelphia)
Kimá taylor
Managing Principal, Anka Consulting LLC; Former Director, Open Society Foundations Addiction Programs; Former Baltimore Deputy Health Commissioner
John Tilley
Public Defender
Sally Yates
Partner, King & Spalding; Former Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
About The Art
The banner design was created by an adult in custody designer in the Oregon Corrections Enterprises (OCE) Graphic Design program. The mission of OCE, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Corrections, is to promote public safety by providing adults in custody with work and training opportunities in a self-sustaining organization.
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