Cumberbatch, Warren, Bailey Promoted as Staff Grows, Diversifies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) today announced that leading criminal justice expert Marc Levin will join the CCJ staff as Chief Policy Counsel. 

A former law clerk for a federal judge, Levin was the founding director in 2005 of the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He then led development of the Right on Crime initiative, which built an influential coalition of conservatives that advocates for federal and state criminal justice reforms and helped break through bitter historical partisanship on crime and punishment issues.

“Marc is widely and deservedly recognized as one of the intellectual leaders of the center-right movement for a more fair and effective justice system,” said CCJ President & CEO Adam Gelb. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the CCJ team as we build a center of gravity for the varied sectors, disciplines, and ideologies across the criminal justice field.”

Levin’s tenure at the Council begins January 18. As Chief Policy Counsel, he will generate analysis and commentary on a broad array of criminal justice and public safety issues and advise the full range of Council policy task forces and research projects. He will continue to serve as a consultant to Right on Crime.

“We are only beginning to confront and rectify the pernicious deficiencies and disparities in the way our nation metes out justice,” Levin said. “I look forward to working in my new capacity with the talented team at CCJ to ensure our nation’s justice system actually lives up to its name by embodying the shared values we cherish.”

The Council also announced today that Khalil A. Cumberbatch has become CCJ’s Director of Strategic Partnerships. One of the nation’s top formerly incarcerated advocates, Cumberbatch will identify and engage Council members and partners, ensuring that all activities are informed by a diverse range of professional and lived experience. He has been a Senior Fellow at CCJ since August, and served previously as Chief Strategist at New Yorkers United for Justice and Associate Vice President of Policy at the Fortune Society.

“The road ahead for criminal justice reform continues to look arduous, especially given the state of affairs in our country,” Cumberbatch said. “But with collaboration and mutual respect, we can move forward on addressing major flaws in our criminal justice system. CCJ is committed to ensuring formerly incarcerated voices are weaved into the fabric of this work, and with my new role and responsibilities, its leaders have doubled down on that commitment. I look forward to working with the Council team as well as our members and supporters.” 

Jenifer Warren, who has served as a communications adviser since prior to the Council’s launch in March 2019, has joined the team as Senior Editor and Director of Media Relations. Warren spent more than 20 years as a staff writer and bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, where her coverage included state government, politics, the California Supreme Court, and criminal justice. The recipient of numerous journalism awards, she was a member of the LA Times staff that won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Los Angeles riots.

Charlotte Bailey has been promoted to Associate, Policy and Program, and will provide policy, research, and operational support to Council task forces, research projects, convenings and other activities. A graduate of Claremont McKenna College, Bailey previously served as a project manager at the Rose Institute on State and Local Government, leading an award-winning initiative that examined national crime data between 1986 and 2006.

About the Council on Criminal Justice
The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) is a nonpartisan invitational membership organization and think tank that advances understanding of the criminal justice policy challenges facing the nation and build consensus for solutions based on facts, evidence, and fundamental principles of justice.

To learn more, visit counciloncj.org.