CALCASA ED Joins Council of State Governments Justice Center

August 6, 2009 |
Valor

Bipartisan Leaders Discuss Cutting-Edge Criminal Justice Policies
A group of state and local leaders from across the nation including respected state lawmakers and gubernatorial appointees who direct large state agencies, state supreme court chief justices and other court officials, and law enforcement executives and prosecutors met in Burlington, Vt., this week to discuss critical criminal justice policies.
Among the leaders, was CALCASA’s Executive Director Suzanne Brown-McBride, who serves on the center’s board of directors. The group gathered to determine the best ways to advance the latest thinking and evidence-based practices on issues such as corrections spending, recidivism, services and supports for survivors of crime, response to children of incarcerated parents and other at-risk juveniles, and the intersection of the criminal justice and mental health systems.
“CALCASA has come to be known as for our support of data-driven policies to make a true impact on communities,” said Brown-McBride. “We want to invest in effective public safety solutions that have an evidence base.”

The board of directors charted the Justice Center’s course for the coming year. The group examined options for keeping pace with the demand for its technical assistance, research, and policy guidance in such areas as prisoner reentry, Project Safe Neighborhoods, justice reinvestment, and criminal justice/mental health collaborations.
The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. It provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies—informed by available evidence—to increase public safety and strengthen communities.
CALCASA is a statewide organization in California working to end sexual violence. CALCASA’s membership is the eighty-five rape crisis programs throughout California, Campus-based rape prevention programs, and allied organizations and individuals sharing the mission to end sexual violence.