Public Safety and Legal Counsel

Governors legal counsel serve as senior staff, overseeing legal issues with legislation, policy, executive orders, administrative actions, and executive appointments. Additionally, Governors are focused on public safety, crime, delinquency and related social and economic consequences. NGA serves the needs of governors and their policy advisors in a broad range of criminal, sentencing, corrections and justice-related policies.

Latest

Governors Stand Against Antisemitism

Hate crimes are on the rise, jumping 11.6% in 2021, according to the latest FBI data. Among the more than 12,000 victims reported, 65% were targeted due to race, ethnicity ...
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Supporting Successful Workforce Reentry for Justice-Involved Individuals

As Governors continue to address workforce shortages in nearly every sector of the economy, state workforce development policymakers and their private sector partners remain focused on increasing labor force participation ...
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Briefing on Government Ethics Considerations

On Monday, February 27, the National Governors Association hosted its monthly legal counsel briefing, which discussed state and territorial ethics issues. Ensuring high ethical standards for both the government institution ...
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State Strategies to Address the Needs of Justice-Involved Youth Impacted by Collateral Consequences

This publication documents a series of learning calls, and a roundtable, held by NGA on collateral consequences for youth involved in the juvenile justice system and highlights key policy strategies ...
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DPAD Learning Collaborative

In January 2023, participants from Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania attended the kickoff meeting for the National Governors Association’s (NGA) Learning Collaborative on Strategies to Support the Development of ...
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Onboarding Session for Governors’ Legal Counsel

On Tuesday, January 31, the National Governors Association hosted an onboarding session for Governors’ legal counsel. The call discussed the role generally and highlighted key challenges and lessons for success ...
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NGA Public Safety networks

Governors Criminal Justice Policy Advisors Network

The Governors Criminal Justice Policy Advisors (CJPAs) Network provides a forum for governors’ criminal and juvenile justice policy advisors to connect with their peers in other states, promote regional information sharing and collaboration, and learn about best practices and the latest research in the field. NGA convenes CJPAs for an annual institute and offers customized technical assistance to them as requested through research and strategic planning support.

Consortium Of State Public Safety Executives

The Consortium of State Public Safety Executives is a network of cabinet-level secretaries and commissioners from across the country who are responsible for oversight of their state’s public safety enterprise, including state police, fire, corrections, emergency management and/or other related agencies. Through the consortium, members can connect with their peers in other states to share lessons learned, receive briefings from national experts on best practices in the field and receive ongoing technical support from NGA staff.

Meet the team

Ken Hardy, Program Director
Lauren Dedon, Senior Legal Policy Advisor
Erin Daneker, Policy Analyst
Maria Kearl, Policy Analyst
Micaja Verna, Policy Coordinator

Resources

State Strategies to Reduce Highway and Traffic Fatalities and Injuries: A Road Map for States

Summary With 39 states reporting an increase in traffic fatalities in 2016, traffic safety policy, programs and practices remain a pressing concern across the nation—and governors are an essential part ...
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States Focus on Reducing Traffic Injuries and Fatalities

WASHINGTON—The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) announced that five states, Colorado, Connecticut,Minnesota, Washington and Utah, have been selected to participate in a learning lab that will ...
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Reducing Burdensome Cyber Regulations

Mick Mulvaney Director Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503 Dear Director Mulvaney, On behalf of the Nation’s governors and state chief information officers, ...
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NGA Works to Prevent Violent Extremism in States

WASHINGTON—As recent incidents have shown, violent extremism remains a multifaceted and complex threat at the state, local and federal levels. The National Governors Association (NGA), through a two-year grant provided ...
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Governors React to Mass Shooting in Nevada

WASHINGTON—The National Governors Association today released a statement following the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, yesterday that killed at least 50 people and left more than 400 injured: “The nation’s ...
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Joint Association Letter on FY18 NDAA Conference Priorities

The Honorable John McCain Chairman Senate Armed Services Committee 218 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Jack Reed Ranking Member Senate Armed Services Committee 218 Russell Senate ...
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State Approaches to Implementing Community-Based Alternatives to Incarceration for Youth Involved in the Justice System

In many states, governors have led bipartisan juvenile justice reform to improve youth outcomes and public safety. Guiding those efforts are: a better understanding of brain development; recent U.S. Supreme ...
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States Strengthen Parole Policies and Practices

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), in partnership with the National Parole Resource Center (NPRC), has selected four states—Colorado, Kentucky, Nebraska and North Carolina—to participate in a learning collaborative focused ...
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