Upclose with members
Our UpClose series invites members to participate in a short conversation about highlights of their work, meaningful experiences related to criminal justice, and CCJ’s value to the field.

UpClose With Kris Steele
This month’s spotlighted member is Kris Steele, executive director of The Education and Employment Ministry. In his interview, Steele shares his perspective on the importance of education in breaking incarceration cycles and emphasizes the importance of informing policy decisions by values of faith, reconciliation, and mercy.

UpClose With Jamila Hodge
This month’s spotlighted member is Jamila Hodge, executive director of Equal Justice USA. In her interview, Hodge discusses how the criminal justice field addresses violent crime and the importance of identifying solutions that address the underlying drivers of violence.

UpClose With Paul Cassell
This month’s spotlighted member is Paul Cassell, Presidential Professor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah.

UpClose With Sharone Mitchell, Jr.
This month’s spotlighted member is Sharone Mitchell, Jr., Public Defender for the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender.

UpClose With Kathy Park
This month’s spotlighted member is Kathy Park, CEO of Evident Change, who provides strategic vision to the organization while overseeing programmatic and organizational operations.

UpClose With Vaughn Crandall
This month’s spotlighted member is Vaughn Crandall, Co-Director of the California Partnership for Safe Communities, where he oversees technical support for violence-reduction efforts, manages the policy agenda, and leads fundraising.