LEL’s 2024 Year in Review

As we plan for the coming year, we are pleased to present a recap of LEL’s accomplishments in 2024. Over the past year, we have expanded our public profile to be a trusted voice for evidence-based reforms that enhance public safety and reduce crime. 

These successes would not have been possible without the support of our members, whose invaluable insights and active participation have been instrumental in navigating an evolving landscape. 

This year, we are looking forward to building on this momentum. We will continue to promote common-sense criminal justice policies and build relationships across the political spectrum with policymakers who share our goals. We look forward to launching our new speakers’ bureau and revamped website and hosting and engaging in virtual and in-person events to promote our mission. At a time of widespread mistrust in institutions and systems of government, the role of LEL’s members in championing public safety, equitable justice, and fairness for all communities is more critical than ever.

Some selected highlights from 2024…

LEL Network & Profile: In 2024, we prioritized fostering connections within the network and adding LEL’s expertise to public conversations about safety and justice reform. We focused on combatting myths and fearmongering, and advancing policy discussions grounded in facts, experience, and data. We were thrilled to welcome ten new members, each exemplifying innovation and dedication to advancing our mission. We shared collaboration opportunities and highlighted member initiatives through quarterly newsletters, social media, and our internal mailing list. 

We also hosted and participated in several events on timely topics throughout the year including: 

Misdemeanor enforcement

• In April, Senior Counsel Ruby Nidiry moderated a “Brennan Center Live” virtual event, Misdemeanors by the Numbers featuring LEL’s Sheriff Jerry Clayton of Washtenaw County (MI), Dr. Josephine Hahn of the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, and Bria Gillum of the MacArthur Foundation. The discussion centered on a new groundbreaking Brennan Center report on addressing misdemeanors in New York City and explored ways to reduce racial disparities and implement effective alternatives to punitive enforcement. 
• At a follow-up event in May, representatives from the offices of three LEL members —  Milwaukee (WI) District Attorney John Chisholm, Brooklyn (NY) District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, and Middlesex County (MA) Sheriff Peter Koutoujian — joined the Brennan Center’s Dr. Josephine Hahn on a panel moderated by Ruby Nidiry, at the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge national convening in Houston, Texas. The panel, Addressing Misdemeanor Enforcement and Racial Disparities: Lessons Learned and Recommendations, explored best practices in law enforcement responses to misdemeanors and shared insights on successes and lessons learned in implementing innovative programs in their respective jurisdictions. 

Spring convening

• Also in May, LEL hosted an invitation-only spring convening of a small group of members in New York City to reflect on LEL’s mission, discuss our priorities, and brainstorm strategies to enhance our impact. 
• LEL Advisory Board Chair Ron Serpas and Former LEL Senior Counsel Taryn Merkl, now serving as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of New York, reflected on the history and background of LEL, highlighting its important contributions to successful advocacy efforts over the years. 
• Ruby Nidiry moderated a panel featuring advocacy partners Maria Goellner, State Policy Director at FAMM; Richard Hahn, Senior Policy Analyst in Criminal Justice at the Niskanen Center; Kandia Milton, Government Affairs Director at Dream.org; and Kevin Ring, Vice President for Criminal Justice Advocacy at Arnold Ventures, who discussed the critical role of law enforcement in advancing policy change amid a challenging political landscape for justice reform.  
• Special thanks to Washtenaw County (MI) Sheriff Jerry Clayton, Brooklyn (NY) District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, and Minnesota Commissioner of Corrections Paul Schnell for sharing their strategies for implementing effective reforms with the group. 

Combating myths about crime and reform

• In July, we co-hosted, along with the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, a bipartisan Congressional briefing on Crime Data and Solutions. Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND At-large) and Representative Glenn Ivey (D-MD-04) co-sponsored the event, and Representative Armstrong delivered the opening remarks. The panel included LEL members Dane County (WI) Sheriff Kalvin Barrett and Ramsey County (MN) Attorney John Choi, Brennan Center Senior Counsel Ames Grawert, and Vikrant Reddy, a nationally-renowned conservative justice reform advocate. Moderated by Ruby Nidiry, panelists reviewed data showing that violent crime has declined and reform policies haven’t caused crime; shared, as LEL members, why they consider reform policies integral to their public safety strategies; and explored opportunities for bipartisan collaboration.
• In October, LEL co-hosted a second Brennan Center Live virtual event, Promoting Justice and Public Safety Since the Pandemic, featuring Madison (WI) Police Chief Shon Barnes, Denver District (CO) Attorney Beth McCann, the Brennan Center’s Ames Grawert, and Ruby Nidiry. The discussion, moderated by former West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, reinforced the themes from the congressional briefing. It opened with updated data from the FBI’s recently released annual crime report for 2023. Nidiry then gave an overview of why law enforcement leaders around the country embrace evidence-based reforms in order to improve public safety. Chief Barnes discussed innovative programs like the Madison Area Addiction Recovery Initiative and restorative justice efforts. He emphasized community-law enforcement collaboration and data-driven program evaluation, which have resulted in reduced arrests, decreased gun and property crimes, and an 80% homicide clearance rate in 2023. DA McCann highlighted the Handgun Intervention Program to provide second chances for juveniles with first-time nonviolent firearm offenses, adult restorative justice programs which achieved a 3.6% recidivism rate (compared to about 50% after prison), and competency courts to divert individuals with mental health and substance use challenges into treatment. 

The fentanyl crisis

• Later in October, LEL members Dane County (WI) Sheriff Kalvin Barrett, Portsmouth (VA) Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales, and Hennepin County (MN) Sheriff Dawanna Witt, participated in a conversation moderated by Ruby Nidiry, at the University of St. Thomas Law Journal’s Fall Symposium, Fentanyl: Tragedies and Solutions, organized by LEL member and St. Thomas Law Professor Mark Osler. Minnesota Commissioner of Corrections Paul Schnell also joined a separate panel about corrections and treatment. The symposium brought together experts from various fields, including law enforcement, medical professionals, law professors, affected individuals, and treatment specialists to address the complex challenges of the fentanyl epidemic. 

LEL Advocacy: From reducing financial barriers to promoting second chances, LEL’s advocacy has played a key role in advancing practical and proven reforms that prioritize rehabilitation, enhance public safety, and improve fairness. Here are some of the year’s highlights:

Reducing financial barriers to successful reentry

• In March, LEL sent a letter to the Senate and House Agricultural Committees urging the inclusion of the RESTORE Act in the 2024 Farm Bill which would repeal the lifetime ban on individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. 
• In April, as part of the No Price on Justice Campaign and in coordination with the Fines and Fees Justice Center, LEL advocated for the End Predatory Court Fees Act to be included in New York’s state budget. The bill would end mandatory court surcharges, probation fees, and commissary garnishment for unpaid fines to facilitate successful reentry. 
• Also in April, LEL endorsed the FY25 appropriations bill to fund the Department of Labor’s Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) Program which provides competitive grants to nonprofit workforce development organizations to provide employment opportunities and reentry services for those with criminal records and for youth who have not completed school. 

Expanding access to health care

• In September, LEL submitted a public comment in support of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule change to modify the definition of “in custody” and thus expanding access to health care for people on bail, probation, parole, home confinement, those required to reside in halfway houses, and those under arrest. The rule was finalized in November.
• In November, LEL joined a letter urging Congress to pass the Reentry Act, which would enable Medicaid coverage to begin 30 days before release from incarceration and the Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would provide Medicaid coverage for those awaiting trial. 

Promoting second chances 

• In April, LEL organized a letter, in collaboration with Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP) and the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), urging the Senate to oppose S.J. Res 47, which would send the approximately 3,000 people on home confinement under the 2020 CARES Act back to prison. The resolution was dropped later in the spring. On December 12th, President Biden granted clemency to those still serving their sentences on home confinement, ensuring that they will not be removed from their communities and families. 
• In September, LEL endorsed the bipartisan Clean Slate Act of 2024, introduced by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Rand Paul (R-KY). This bill would automatically seal criminal records for low-level, non-violent offenders who have completed their sentences, removing barriers to employment, housing, and education. 

Making the justice system more fair and efficient 

• In February, several LEL members joined a letter urging President Biden to support the reclassification of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III consistent with a recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Administration from the Department of Health and Human Services, after a review conducted by the Food and Drug Administration. The letter, which was spotlighted in an article in The Hill, emphasized that this change would help law enforcement better prioritize public safety resources and address harms from the unregulated cannabis market. LEL’s Advisory Board Chair Ron Serpas discussed the importance of reclassification in an interview with a New Orleans, LA public radio station. The rule change is still pending.
• In April, LEL endorsed an FY25 appropriations bill to continue funding research programs that identify and address wrongful convictions and inequities in the criminal justice system. 
• In July, LEL supported the Safer Supervision Act, a bipartisan bill that would make requirements for federal supervision more individualized rather than automatic, prioritize intensive supervision for serious offenses, and provide more avenues for early termination of supervision.

Collaborating with partners

• We have joined advocacy coalitions to strategize with partners across the political spectrum on an array of issues, including: the No Price on Justice Coalition (ending predatory fines and fees in New York state), National Clean Slate Coalition (enacting federal and state clean slate legislation), the newly launched Traffic Safety for All Coalition (reducing low-risk and non-public safety related traffic stops) and the Safer Supervision Coalition (reforming supervised release with evidence-based policies).

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If you are interested in learning more about our work, please contact info@lawenforcementleaders.org.