Sheriff Koutoujian to Co-Chair National Re-Entry Programs and Initiatives Working Group

Middlesex Sheriff Peter J Koutoujian has been tapped to co-chair a corrections and re-entry-focused working group for the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice.

The Commission was authorized by executive order last October, with the 18 members having been formally appointed in January by Attorney General Bill Barr.  The Commission – chaired by Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office Director Phil Keith – is tasked with exploring modern issues affecting law enforcement that most impact the ability of American policing to reduce crime.

As co-chair of the Re-entry Programs and Initiatives Working Group, Sheriff Koutoujian and other members of the panel will advise the Commission on “how prisoner programming and post-custodial rehabilitation initiatives can reduce recidivism and improve the quality of life for criminal offenders and their communities.”

“Ensuring those placed in the custody of our nation’s jails and prisons have access to targeted programming, continuity of care and appropriate levels of post-release supervision are key to improving outcomes for individuals, families and our communities,” said Sheriff Koutoujian.  “I believe that by tailoring and targeting our efforts to the specific underlying needs of individuals – as we have in Middlesex County with our medication-assisted treatment, incarcerated veterans and emerging adults programs – we will better enhance public safety.  I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure we provide Commission members with the best and most well-informed advice and support as we carry out our work in the months ahead.”

Fifteen working groups in total will assist the Commission, with panels looking at issues including: victim services; officer safety, health and wellness; data and reporting; grant programs; juvenile justice and youth crime; and technology.

“The Working Groups are a critical component of the Attorney General's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, as they cover wide ranging issues and themes impacting law enforcement, criminal justice components and our communities — everything from entire community groups to individuals in law enforcement,” said Director Keith. “Each working group member’s diverse perspectives and experiences will provide tremendous value to the Commission's overall mission.”

To learn more about the Commission, the working groups and members of both, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ag/presidential-commission-law-enforcement-and-administration-justice.

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