SCHR’s Public Policy Director Appointed As Leader of New National Criminal Justice Organization
Marissa Dodson.
Southern Center for Human Rights Public Policy Director Marissa Dodson has been appointed to the Board of Directors of a new national criminal justice organization, the Council on Criminal Justice.
Independent and nonpartisan, the Council is an invitational membership organization and think tank that advances understanding of the criminal justice policy choices facing the nation and builds consensus for solutions that enhance safety and justice for all. The organization believes a fair and effective criminal justice system is essential to democracy and a core measure of our nation’s well-being.
The Council’s advisory Board of Trustees includes U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, former California Gov. Jerry Brown, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Mark Holden of Koch Industries, and Van Jones of CNN.
The Council is governed by a 16-member Board of Directors led by Laurie Robinson, who twice served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs. The Council was founded by its president and chief executive officer, Adam Gelb, a former journalist, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee staffer, and director of public safety initiatives at The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Marissa and other Directors will advise the Council about which public safety and justice issues it should focus on, help select general Council members, and how the Council can best fulfill its mission and serve its members and the field at large.
Council membership rewards the accomplishments of established leaders and serves to develop a strong, diverse cohort of emerging leaders who will steer the field through future challenges. It also supports a field that is more inclusive of those whose perspectives often are overlooked, such as formerly incarcerated people. Leaders and lifetime members of the Council are selected based on multiple criteria, including intellectual achievement, practical impact, dedication to research-informed policy making, standing among peers, promise of future service to the field, and potential for contributing to the Council’s work.