Safety + Justice Challenge Community Advisory Committee

Community Advisory Committee (CAC)

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is a seven-member community stakeholder group oriented to various processes in the criminal justice system. The CAC meets monthly to receive updates about Allegheny County’s current strategies as a part of the Safety + Justice Challenge project and develop recommendations to reduce the jail population and racial disparities. Its charge is to identify gaps in the criminal justice system that allow disparities to persist.

The committee is comprised of individuals with diverse perspectives from the faith-based community, those with lived experience within the criminal justice system, immigrant populations, as well as other populations who have been affected by the justice system or who are committed to improving the justice system. 

Members

  • Valerie Dixon, Center for Victims
  • Rev. Cornell Jones, Department of Public Safety, City of Pittsburgh
  • Kurtis Mennitti, Pittsburgh Community Services, Inc
  • Monica Ruiz, Casa San Jose
  • Claire Shubik-Richards, PA Prison Society
  • Taili Thompson, Operation Better Block
  • Dante Works, House of Veterans

How Members Were Selected

Members of the Community Advisory Committee were selected from recommendations by the Safety + Justice Challenge stakeholders and Community Engagement Coordinator. Former County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and President Judge Kim Clark of the Fifth Judicial District made the final selection and invited individuals to participate in February of 2021.

CAC Recommendations

The CAC has generated a series of recommendations(PDF, 102KB) following orientation to the work of the Safety + Justice Challenge project and meetings with criminal justice system partners. The internal Safety + Justice Challenge partners have responded to these recommendations.(PDF, 275KB)

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