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.
Congress introduces Second Chance Act reauthorization
On May 22, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 3552/S.1843) was introduced in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives with robust bipartisan support. NACo supports this legislation, which would reauthorize funding for Second Chance Act (P.L. 110-199) programs through 2030.
Fire and emergency response grants now open for counties
On May 20, FEMA announced the opening of the Fiscal Year 2024 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program and the Fiscal Year 2024 Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Program, which support fire departments and firefighter organizations in increasing staffing and improving safety nationwide.
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
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