CORE Justice Network
The CORE Justice Network is a group of county officials working to drive change in the criminal legal system. The cohort focuses on innovative, county-led approaches to equity, exploring policies, practices and programs with measurable impact on justice-involved populations.
This work is funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. This network will continue through Spring 2025.
About the Network
Together CORE Network members learn about the policies, practices and programs that can be used to identify and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal legal system. They receive monthly research-based emails, take part in quarterly calls with guest speakers and participate in in-person peer exchanges.
- Hon. Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County, Neb.
- Hon. Sharon Weston Broome, East Baton Rouge Parish, La.
- Hon. Charlie Cavell, Oakland County, Mich.
- Hon. Erica Crawley, Franklin County, Ohio
- Hon. Latifah Faisal, Story County, Iowa
- Hon. Tara Gaston, Saratoga County, N.Y.
- Hon. John Idleburg, Lake County, Ill.
- Hon. Marilyn Kirkpatrick, Clark County, Nev.
- Hon. Lloyd LaCroix, Pennington County, S.D.
- Hon. Donna Miller, Cook County, Ill.
- Hon. Mary Beth Murphy, Guilford County, N.C.
- Hon. Dana Pellebon, Dane County, Wis.
- Hon. Alana Sanders, Newton County, Ga.
- Hon. Lori Stegmann, Multnomah County, Ore.
- Hon. Vivian Thomas, Henry County, Ga.
House draft bill text proposes FEMA reform package with major wins for counties
This week, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee released draft bill text for a sweeping Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reform package aimed at improving disaster response, streamlining aid and increasing local flexibility—reflecting many long-standing county priorities.
DOJ terminates justice and public safety-focused grants
On April 22, the U.S. Department of Justice’s largest grant-making arm—the Office of Justice Programs—abruptly cancelled hundreds of grants awarded to county governments and other local jurisdictions and organizations. Approximately 365 grants have been identified for termination, which were estimated to be valued at $811 million at the time of awarding; it is unclear how much funding remained at the time of termination.
County Countdown – April 21, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership. This week features the ARPA reporting deadline, a budget reconciliation update and more
U.S. House reintroduces legislation to address the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy
Two bipartisan bills aimed at addressing the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP) were recently reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
FEMA halts disaster mitigation grant program
On April 4, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced it will not allocate $750 million this year for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. According to the press release, FEMA will also stop funding BRIC projects that were previously approved and are still underway.
Counties support youth with a second chance opportunity
A Riverside County, Calif. supervisor took experiences from his former life as a teacher to help create a program that serves students who had gone the juvenile justice system and were looking for a second chance.
Impacts of Federal Immigration Policy on Local Governments (Part 2)
Hosted by the Local Government Legal Center (LGLC), join us for a second informational (not for CLE) webinar regarding the executive orders issued this year and federal policies in the area of immigration and how they may impact local governments and local government officials. Presenters will provide a high-level overview of the laws at issue and their impact on local government operations and duties.
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