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Racial Disparities in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice System Advisory Panel

The Racial Disparities in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Advisory Panel is charged by the legislature with reviewing and providing recommendations to address systemic racial disparities in statewide systems of criminal and juvenile justice. This includes: reviewing police data; providing recommendations regarding training and best practices for law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys; educating and engaging with the community; and producing a biennial report. The Panel was created by Act 54 of 2017.

The next meeting of the Panel will take place electronically at 6pm on August 13th. To join a RDAP meeting please contact Anne Walker, anne.walker@vermont.gov to request a Zoom link.

Community Representatives:

  • Jessica Brown, Assistant Professor and Director of the Center for Justice Reform, Vermont Law & Graduate School
  • Geoffrey Jones, Former Vermont State Police Trooper
  • Shela Linton, Co-founder and Executive Director, Root Social Justice Center
  • Dr. Etan Nasreddin-Longo, Chair of the Panel
  • Grant Taylor, Production Technician, Edlund Co. LLC
  • Dale Manning, Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk – Abenaki Nation

State Government Representatives:

  • Tyler Allen, Adolescent Services Director, Department of Children and Families
  • Xusana Davis, Executive Director of Racial Equity
  • Lisa Ryan, Community Inclusion Director, Vermont Criminal Justice Council
  • Todd Daloz, Assistant Attorney General, Attorney General’s Office
  • Sergeant Dan Bennett, Vermont State Police
  • Farzana Leyva, Orleans County States Attorney, Vermont Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs
  • Derek Miodownik, Corrections Restorative & Community Justice Exec, Department of Corrections
  • Judge Mary Morrissey, Superior Judge, Judiciary
  • Rebecca Turner, Appellate Defender, Office of the Defender General

Reports:

Agendas:

  • There will be a special meeting on April 29, 2025, from 6-8pm. It will use the current meeting series Zoom link. A formal agendum will be posted on Monday, April 28th. In general the meeting is "...to discuss—and possibly vote on—how the Panel wishes to weigh-in on various pieces of legislation currently under consideration at the Statehouse."
  • 4-8-2025 The April 8th meeting will take place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • 3-11-2025 The March 11th meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • 2-11-2025 The February 11th meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • 1-14-2025 The January 14th meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • 12-10-2024 The December 10th meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • The November 12th meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom. There was no agendum.
  • There was no October 8, 2024 meeting.
  • 09-10-2024 The September meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • 08-13-2024 The August meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • There was no July 9, 2024 meeting.
  • 06-11-2024 REVISED Agendum The June meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • 05-14-2024 The May meeting meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • 04-09-2024 The April meeting meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • 03-12-2024 The March meeting meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • 02-13-2024 The February meeting meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.
  • 01-09-2024 The January meeting meeting took place 6-8pm by Zoom.

Archive of Agendas for meetings held before January 2024.

Minutes:

Click here to view videos of many of the panel meetings. The videos have been taken by ORCA Media and are hosted on their website.

Archive of Minutes for meetings held before January 2023.