The discussion, part of the institute’s larger Racial Justice Action Agenda, includes the history of police reform in Newark from the Newark Rebellion to the current federal consent decree; current statewide legislative and policy campaigns to promote police accountability and transparency; and developing community-based public safety models.
The presentation was followed by small group discussions.
Continuing Conversations on Race and White Privilege is an ongoing program that meets on the first Monday of every month at 7 p.m.
About the presenter: Brooke Lewis is associate counsel for criminal justice reform at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Serving on the Independent Monitoring Team overseeing reforms to the Newark Police Division (NPD), she provides assistance to the NPD in the areas of community-oriented and bias-free policing. Beyond her work on the Independent Monitoring Team, Lewis advocates for community-driven policing and public safety reforms.
Prior to joining the institute, Lewis served as a law clerk at the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, and worked as a legal intern at the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, the Capital Habeas Unit of the Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Rutgers’ Children’s Justice Clinic.
As a graduate of the Rutgers B.A./J.D. Dual-Degree Program, Lewis received a bachelor’s degree in political science summa cum laude and a juris doctor degree cum laude with a certificate in criminal law and procedure.
This event was recorded on August 2, 2021.