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LEL’s 2025 Year in Review

As we plan for the coming year, we are pleased to share a recap of LEL’s activities in 2025 to advance our mission: to improve our criminal justice system by reducing unnecessary incarceration, increase fairness, and strengthen public safety.

 

We are grateful to our members for their continued engagement and leadership throughout a year that brought both change and new opportunities for impact. In 2026, we look forward to building on this work by continuing to support bipartisan legislative efforts, deepen partnerships across the justice system, and provide opportunities for members to share innovations and expertise with each other and the public.

 


LEL Spring 2025 Meeting 

 

Some selected highlights from 2025…

 

Network & Profile: Throughout the past year, LEL continued to strengthen connections within its national network, fostering collaboration among members, while developing more ways to amplify their work and perspectives.

  • We were excited to welcome four new members: Colby Braun (Director, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, North Dakota), Tom Ross (Executive Director, Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, Utah), Brian Redd (Police Chief, Salt Lake City, Utah), and Heidi Washington (Director, Department of Corrections, Michigan). We also appointed two new Advisory Board members: Jerry Clayton (Former Sheriff, Washtenaw County, Michigan) and Tori Verber-Salazar. We are grateful to all of them for their contributions to the network and its collective expertise. 

  • At the end of the year, Ron Serpas stepped down as Chair of LEL, concluding a decade of leadership that has shaped the organization since its founding in 2015. We appreciate his leadership and service, which has helped establish the organization as a pragmatic and credible voice in advancing evidence-based public safety policies and important reforms to our justice system. Fortunately, Ron will continue to support LEL as a member of the Advisory Board.

LEL also hosted and participated in various events throughout the year: 

 

Advancing Bipartisan Justice Reform

  • In April, we co-hosted an event with William & Mary Law School’s Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Reform, Criminal Justice Innovations in a Polarized Climate. Organized with LEL member and Center Director Kami Chavis, the discussion brought together law enforcement leaders to examine approaches to building trust, reducing recidivism, and improving public safety. 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’s Director Ruby Nidiry. 

  • In September, LEL Director Ruby Nidiry participated in an invitation-only bipartisan justice convening, hosted by the Conservative Political Action Conference and organized by For the People, which brought together advocacy organizations from across the political spectrum to discuss criminal justice reform priorities and opportunities for bipartisan collaboration, including advancing legislation to create safe pathways home from prison.

Annual Meeting

  • In June, LEL hosted its annual meeting at NYU Law School, bringing together 25 members for a full-day discussion on the federal criminal justice landscape, challenges to reform, and member-led innovations addressing public safety. 

  • The discussions began with opening remarks from LEL Director Ruby Nidiry, Advisory Board Chair Ron Serpas, and the Brennan Center’s VP of Program Initiatives, John Kowal. 

  • In the first panel, an ideologically diverse group of experts shared their insights on the federal landscape, prospects for justice reform, and how LEL members can help to advance their advocacy priorities. Moderated by Brennan Center Senior Policy Strategist JC Hendrickson, the speakers included: Timothy Head, President and CEO of Unify.US; Jessica Jackson, CEO of Reform Alliance; Saurabh Sanghvi, Chief Counsel for Immigration and Criminal Justice for U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE); and David Ryan, Senior Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives at the Health and Reentry Project (HARP). 

  • The next panel featured a conversation, moderated by former LEL Policy Associate Jessie Brenner, in which LEL members shared reforms they have implemented that provide practical solutions to public safety problems:

  • County Attorney John Choi of Ramsey County, Minnesota, on substantially improving clearance rates for non-fatal homicides and reducing carjackings and auto thefts through collaborative efforts with law enforcement and building trust with community members;

  • Former Police Chief Lou Dekmar of LaGrange, Georgia, on working with a researcher to develop technology that has dramatically reduced child deaths in Georgia by coordinating rapid response and expediting the provision of wraparound services;

  • Sheriff Elias Diggins of Denver, Colorado, on successfully implementing a pilot program to facilitate voting in jails that is now state law in Colorado, and remodeling in-person visitation to make the experience less traumatic for children and families; and

  • Sheriff Peter Koutoujian of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, on creating specialized jail units to address the unique needs of veterans and older adults.

  • In the afternoon, Ruby Nidiry facilitated a discussion with Amy Solomon, former Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) at the Department of Justice and Senior Fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, that provided a deep dive on DOJ grants recently cut by the administration and the implications for public safety and law enforcement. 

  • The day concluded with a closed-door session for LEL members to debrief and brainstorm about LEL’s role in advocacy efforts and public education on topics such as the importance of reentry services and the impact of Medicaid and other funding cuts on public safety, among others. 

Advocacy: LEL engaged in a wide range of advocacy this year, supporting common sense solutions to advance safety and justice such as improving health care for individuals who are incarcerated, expanding second chance opportunities, and strengthening oversight. This work was informed by the experience of LEL members, whose on-the-ground leadership helps shape policy priorities and guide engagement with federal policymakers. Below are selected highlights:

 

Championing Bipartisan Policies

 

In March, we released A Federal Agenda to Reduce Crime and Unnecessary Incarceration, outlining four key reforms that the current Congress should prioritize. Each has bipartisan support and will help advance fairness and accountability, improve law enforcement efficiency, build trust in government, and ensure the safety and well-being of communities.

  • Expanding healthcare access in jail and prison: The Due Process Continuity of Care Act and the Reentry Act will increase access to Medicaid for some incarcerated people such as those in pretrial detention or about to leave prison.

  • Ensuring incarcerated people are prepared for successful reentry: The bipartisan BOP Release Card ID Act will help to ensure people leaving federal prison have access to critical identification documents, necessary to access employment, housing, education, and other opportunities.

  • Funding prison oversight to ensure accountability: The Federal Prison Oversight Act creates an ombudsman office and increases Inspector General oversight capabilities over the federal Bureau of Prisons. While signed into law in 2024, it requires new appropriations for full implementation.

By the conclusion of 2025, all but one, the VICTIM Act, were introduced in the House and/or Senate (updates below). 

 

Reducing Barriers to Reentry and Advancing Second Chances

  • In January, Ruby Nidiry spoke with Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd on WBUR about the positive impacts of the First Step Act on sentencing reform and prison conditions, and the bipartisan coalition that supported it. She highlighted how reentry support and rehabilitative programming have led to successful outcomes, including a reduction in recidivism. 

  • In April, LEL joined a diverse group of advocates, healthcare providers, and public health professionals in a letter endorsing the reintroduction of the Reentry Act. 

  • Also in April, LEL endorsed provisions in the FY2026 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bill that would provide continued funding of the Second Chance Act to support reentry programming focused on employment, housing, and reducing recidivism. This bill was passed by Congress and signed into law in January 2026. 

  • In May, LEL signed a letter in support of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025 to reauthorize critical reentry grant programs and enhance services for housing, childcare, career training, and treatment for substance use disorders. In October, this bill passed in the Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

  • In June, LEL joined a letter urging Congress to allocate and protect $115 million for the Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) program, which funds job training and employment services for individuals returning from incarceration, within the Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration in the FY2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill. The House passed this bill in January 2026. 

  • In July, LEL endorsed the reintroduction of the Fresh Start Act to support federal funding for automatic expungement systems; LEL Advisory Board Chair Ronal Serpas was quoted in the Senate press release announcing the bill.

  • In September, the bipartisan BOP Release Card ID Act, one of the four priorities in the LEL’s 2025 Federal Agenda, was reintroduced in the House to ensure individuals leaving federal custody receive government-issued identification needed for employment, housing, and services. 

  • In November, the Safer Supervision Act was introduced with our support to improve outcomes on probation and supervised release by focusing resources on higher-risk cases.

  • In December, three bills LEL has long endorsed – the First Step Implementation Act, Safer Detention Act, and Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act – were introduced to improve implementation of sentencing reforms, strengthen conditions of confinement, and limit the use of acquitted conduct in sentencing.

Strengthening Oversight and Accountability in Public Safety

  • In March, LEL Chair Ron Serpas spoke with Law360 about the role of consent decrees in strengthening public trust and improving police practices. While noting the value of federal oversight, he emphasized the importance of locally driven reform efforts. 

  • In April, LEL advocated for funding of up to $40 million to support the implementation of the Federal Prison Oversight Act, which establishes independent oversight mechanisms to improve conditions and accountability in federal prisons, in partnership with Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) and 25 other organizations. Funding for the FPO was also one of the four priorities in LEL’s 2025 Federal Agenda. While additional funding wasn’t granted, the appropriations committees directed the Department of Justice to begin implementing the law.

  • In May, LEL joined a letter urging Congress to fund innocence work and forensic science programs, including the Wrongful Conviction Review Program and the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Program. These programs help to increase accuracy and fairness and to address significant racial disparities. This was included in the recently passed CJS appropriations bill.

Improving Continuity and Access to Health Care

  • In February, LEL endorsed the reintroduction of the Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would help ensure individuals maintain access to health coverage and treatment as they transition from incarceration back into the community, one of the four priorities highlighted in LEL’s 2025 Federal Agenda.

  • In March, LEL joined a letter advocating for the continued funding of the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) in the FY2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which was passed January 2026. This bill would support partnerships between law enforcement and behavioral health providers to improve crisis response and treatment access.

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As always, we thank our members for their leadership in keeping communities safe and advancing our shared justice goals. In 2026, we look forward to building on this work by advancing key legislative priorities and engaging members in new ways to bring their perspective on timely issues to the public and policy makers, such as through blogs, working groups, and white papers.

If you would like to learn more or to engage with LEL, please contact lawenforcementlead@gmail.com.