Criminal Justice Innovations in a Polarized Climate

On April 8th, LEL co-hosted an event with William & Mary Law School’s Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Reform, Criminal Justice Innovations in a Polarized Climate, as part of the law school’s “Unlocking Justice” series. The conversation explored how law enforcement finds common ground across political divides to build trust, reduce recidivism, and create safer and healthier communities. Special thanks to LEL member Kami Chavis, who is the Director of the Center, for helping us organize this event and for moderating the discussion.

The panel featured LEL members Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough of Forsyth County, North Carolina; former Police Chief Louis Dekmar of LaGrange, Georgia; Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales of Portsmouth, Virginia; and LEL Senior Counsel Ruby Nidiry. The audience included students, faculty, and others from the law school, as well as from the larger community, including from the local police department. We appreciate the thoughtful questions and discussion!

• CA Morales emphasized the power of transparency and leading with a values-driven approach to build public trust. Through outreach programs like Control-Alt-Delete, her office engages directly with currently and formerly incarcerated individuals to provide job readiness training, expungement support, reentry resources, guidance on public housing, and restoration of voting rights. Hosting seminars in both the community and inside state prisons has helped her team humanize the experience of those behind bars, leading to a positive culture shift in her office.
• Former Chief Dekmar highlighted how unaddressed social issues like homelessness, substance use, and mental illness can negatively impact perceptions of public safety. In his jurisdiction, he partnered with over 70 community and faith-based organizations to provide community services and expand employment opportunities for those reentering society. For example, by streamlining the record restriction process and eliminating fees, his city increased restrictions from 125 to over 800. He also advocated for the removal of felony conviction bans for municipal jobs to further reduce recidivism.
• Sheriff Kimbrough stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of crime and ensuring basic needs of the community like safety, food, housing, and mental health care are met. Forsyth County built a dedicated mental health unit inside its jail and hired additional staff to assess and direct individuals to services. Reentry coordinators were also added to help identify housing, transportation, and employment opportunities for those returning home. Building credibility in the community is essential for public safety, cooperation, and reform. His office established a community outreach unit and a separate foundation to sustainably fund youth programming, treatment, and other community services.
• Senior Counsel Nidiry discussed the bipartisan recognition, in recent years, that we over-incarcerate and that law enforcement is too often the default response to social issues better addressed through public health approaches. She pointed to promising areas for bipartisan reform including, among others, reducing extreme sentences, promoting successful reentry and second chances, implementing effective prison oversight, expanding Medicaid access, and building on the success of the First Step Act.
• All of our panelists shared how they’ve effectively communicated reform across political divisions. Chief Dekmar reflected on working under multiple administrations, from bail reform during President Obama’s administration to the First Step Act during President Trump’s first term, emphasizing that reframing reform around public safety rather than politics is key to securing support. Sheriff Kimbrough echoed the importance of safety-focused messaging to build community buy-in and the use of real time intelligence to improve resident interactions with law enforcement. CA Morales underscored the need for transparency and honest dialogue in building support for meaningful change.

Watch the full panel discussion here!

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