A year ago today, George Floyd died at the hands of then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. On the anniversary of his tragic murder, our thoughts are with his family and loved ones who endure his loss.
Over the past year, we have witnessed the expansion of a national and global civil rights movement calling for change. Racial disparities infect the criminal and juvenile justice systems at all points—from initial contact and victimization to detention and incarceration, to reentry into the community. While the conviction of Derek Chauvin last month was a step toward healing, the work to advance safety, equity, and justice continue.
All of us at The Council of State Governments Justice Center are unequivocally committed to tackling racial injustices. We are determined to ensure that every Black person in America can trust in the criminal justice system to treat them fairly and with dignity and respect.
Today, we pause to reflect and honor George Floyd’s life and legacy. We will continue to support state and local officials committed to dismantling racial inequities, offering second chances, and improving public safety for everyone.
As
director
of
the
CSG
Justice
Center,
Megan
Quattlebaum
leads
a
staff
of
more
than
140
who
work
across
an
array
of
specialties
that
span
the
criminal
justice
continuum
to
develop
research-driven
strategies
to
increase
public
safety
and
strengthen
communities.
...
Before
joining
the
organization,
Megan
most
recently
served
as
a
research
scholar
in
law
and
the
program
director
of
the
Justice
Collaboratory
at
the
Yale
Law
School,
where
she
taught
as
well
as
developed
and
oversaw
research
projects
and
led
the
organization’s
work
on
behalf
of
the
National
Initiative
for
Building
Community
Trust
and
Justice.
She
was
also
the
Senior
Liman
Fellow
in
Residence
for
the
Arthur
Liman
Center
for
Public
Interest
Law
and
served
as
a
lecturer
in
law
at
Columbia
Law
School.
Additionally,
she
has
served
as
a
practicing
criminal
and
civil
defense
attorney
with
Zuckerman
Spaeder
LLP
in
New
York
and
an
Arthur
Liman
Public
Interest
Fellow
and
attorney
at
the
Neighborhood
Legal
Services
Association
in
Pittsburgh.
She
also
clerked
for
the
Hon.
Julio
M.
Fuentes
of
the
U.S.
Court
of
Appeals
for
the
Third
Circuit.
She
received
her
BA
from
Sarah
Lawrence
College
and
her
JD
from
the
Yale
Law
School.
