Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Established in 2017, the binational Midwestern Legislative Conference Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee explores a range of issues, including: sentencing reform; strategies to reduce recidivism; the role and use of specialty courts; alternatives to incarceration; police and community relations; victims’ rights; and more. Legislators from 11 Midwestern states and four Canadian provinces serve on the MLC Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.

Committee activities include ongoing policy research, webinars and in-person meetings. Committee members and officers for the 2023-2024 biennium will be named soon. (See below for committee leadership and membership from the past biennium.)

The committee will next meet in person in conjunction with the 77th Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Legislative Conference, which will be held July 9-12, 2023, in Detroit, Michigan. Details on this meeting will be posted soon. The MLC Criminal Justice & Public Safety Committee last met in July 2022 at the MLC Annual Meeting in Wichita, Kansas.

Summary of 2022 committee meeting »

The CSG Midwest staff liaison to the committee is Derek Cantù.

Committee Resources

Committee Leadership (2021-2022)

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Representative Shannon Roers Jones
North Dakota, Co-Chair
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Senator Robert Peters
Illinois, Co-Chair
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Senator John McCollister
Nebraska, Vice Chair