Helping Shape the Future of Police Reform
In the wake of George Floyd’s tragic death and the resulting national outcry for systemic policing reforms, CJR formed a National Police Reform Advisory Group. Our team of nationally-recognized experts within the police and criminal justice field helps chart the national response for the sustainable improvement of police-community relations.
The advisory group has experience in police training at the international, federal, state and local levels. Their expertise will help shape the future of police reform by:
- Assisting with the strategic research and program approach to police reform
- Serving as technical advisors on police reform efforts, research protocols and policy developments
- Providing advice to police administrators, mayors, and other government officials on research and development sponsored and/or conducted in the name of police reform.
The advisory group provides evidence-supported recommendations of existing police reform recommendations. Read the Advisory Group’s recommendations here.
Advisory Group Members
Lorenzo Boyd, Ph.D.
University of New Haven
Dr. Lorenzo M. Boyd is an Associate Professor, Director of the Center for Advanced Policing and Vice President for Diversity & Inclusion at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. A former president of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Lorenzo is a nationally recognized leader in police-community relations and an authority on urban policing, diversity issues in criminal justice, race and crime, and criminal justice systems.
Ronald Craig, Ph.D.
Tennessee State University
Dr. Ronald Craig is an assistant professor at Tennessee State University in the Department of Criminal Justice. With almost 20 years of criminal justice higher education experience, Ron has worked as a public safety officer and in juvenile and adult probation
Paul Elam, Ph.D.
MPHI
Dr. Paul Elam is the Chief Strategy Officer for MPHI, a Michigan-based and nationally engaged, non-profit public health institute. Paul is nationally recognized for his deep understanding of crime and justice, youth violence and prevention, and child maltreatment. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience measuring racial and ethnic disproportionality and believes that sound public policy analysis should include an examination of whether all people are being treated fairly and equitably.
Captain Holland Jones, JD, Ph.D.
Harris County Constable Office
Dr. Holland Jones is a Captain with the Harris County Constable Office in Texas. Holland is a Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Legal professional with a 20+ year career applying experience, education, training, and leadership skills.
Bahiyyah M. Muhammad, Ph.D.
Howard University
Dr. Bahiyyah Muhammad is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Howard University. Her research is on the impact of parental incarceration. In partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police she has developed a nationally recognized policing course.
Whitney Threadcraft-Walker, Ph.D.
University of Houston-Downtown
Dr. Whitney Threadcraft-Walker is an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston-Downtown and a Fellow in the Harvard Government Performance Law working on criminal justice projects in Texas. Whitney’s research examines predictive bias, and the linkages between race, crime, and psychopathy.
Rashawn Ray, Ph.D.
University of Maryland
Dr. Rashawn Ray is a David M. Rubenstein Fellow at The Brookings Institution. He is also a Professor of Sociology and Executive Director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research (LASSR) at the University of Maryland, College Park. Ray’s research addresses the mechanisms that manufacture and maintain racial and social inequality with a particular focus on police-civilian relations.
Roy Rodney, J.D.
Rodney & Etter, LLC.
Roy J. Rodney, Jr. is the founder and managing partner for Rodney & Etter, L.L.C., a diverse group of lawyers formerly involved in academic, government and private practices. Roy has an extensive history of defending against injustice and infringement of civil liberties.
KB Turner, Ph.D.
University of Memphis
Dr. Turner serves as the Chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the African American Male Academy at the University of Memphis. As a sworn law enforcement officer and police trainer with over 30 years of service.
Jennifer Cobbina, Ph.D.
Michigan State University
Dr. Jennifer Cobbina is an Associate Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. Jennifer's areas of expertise center on police-community relations, youth violence, and concentrated neighborhood disadvantage, with a special focus on the experiences of minority youth and the impact of race, class, and gender on criminal justice practices.
Policy Subcommittee Members
Warren V. Dukes, Ph.D.
United Way of Central Indiana
Dr. Warren V. Dukes is currently the Vice-President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the United Way of Central Indiana. Formerly a Sociology Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Sociology at Purdue University. Warren’s prior research on Black police officers gained the attention of national law enforcement executives and members of President Obama’s administration, as he was an invited participant in the President’s Task Force on the White House 21st Century Policing Briefing.
Jennier Wyatt Bourgeois, Ph.D.
Texas Southern University
Jennifer Wyatt Bourgeois is a Postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Justice Research at Texas Southern University. Jennifer has been published in the Journal of Black Studies, Lone Star Forensic's, and Drug Science, Policy, & Law. Additionally, she has co- authored two nationally recognized reports in the areas of pretrial diversion and prosecutor caseloads.
Chris Andrews
Communications Consultant
Chris Andrews is a former journalist who covered state government in Michigan for more than 20 years. As a communications consultant, he has written extensively on criminal justice, juvenile justice, and race equity issues. He has his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan.
Bezil L. Taylor, MSW
Howard University - School of Social Work
Bezil Taylor is a Co-Facilitator of the Racial and Social Justice Collaborative at Michigan State University’s School of Social Work. Bezil has experience working in nonprofit leadership and in legislative and community support roles in the Michigan Senate. He is currently a doctoral student in Howard University's School of Social Work.
Paul Elam, Ph.D.
MPHI
Dr. Paul Elam is the Chief Strategy Officer for MPHI, a Michigan-based and nationally engaged, non-profit public health institute. Paul is nationally recognized for his deep understanding of crime and justice, youth violence and prevention, and child maltreatment. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience measuring racial and ethnic disproportionality and believes that sound public policy analysis should include an examination of whether all people are being treated fairly and equitably.
