Past Recipients
| 2024 | Illinois Prison Project | Chicago, IL |
| 2023 | Anthony Powers | Seattle, WA |
| 2022 | Pacific Juvenile Defender Center | San Francisco, CA |
| 2021 | Illinois State Senator Robert J. Peters, Illinois State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr., and Illinois State Representative Justice Slaughter | Springfield, IL |
| 2020 | Phil Cherner | Denver, CO |
| 2019 | Jody Kent Lavy | Washington, DC |
| 2018 | Second Chance Center | Aurora, CO |
| 2017 | Anthony Benedetti | Boston, MA |
| 2016 | Senator Gerald Malloy | Hartsville, SC |
| 2015 | Marissa McCall-Dodson | Atlanta, GA |
| 2014 | Maureen Cain | Denver, CO |
| 2013 | Peter Wagner | Northampton, MA |
| 2012 | Jennifer L. Zito | Meriden, CT |
| 2011 | Michael DiLauro | Warwick, RI |
Nominate a Possible Recipient
The NACDL® Champion of State Criminal Justice Reform Award recognizes an individual or group whose exceptional efforts have led to positive changes to reform a state criminal justice system. The award is presented at the annual State Criminal Justice Network (SCJN) Conference, which will be held virtually on October 9-10, 2025. Nominations for the 2025 Champion of State Criminal Justice Reform Award must be submitted electronically by Friday, August 8, 2025 and sent to Shuli Carroll at scarroll@nacdl.org (subject line: Champion of State Criminal Justice Reform Award).
Nomination Guidelines
Nominations may be made by any state affiliate, advocacy group, individual, or NACDL’s state legislative affairs director and shall be submitted in accordance with the guidelines and deadline and include such information as determined by the State Legislative Affairs Committee chairs.
Nomination information should include:
- The name, email, title, address and phone number of the nominated person/group;
- The name, email, title, address and phone number of the nominating person/group;
- A summary, submitted as a Word or PDF document not to exceed two (2) single-spaced pages, including:
- The problems that exist(ed) in the relevant state criminal legal system;
- The efforts made by the nominee to improve the system (e.g., coalitions formed, legislation proposed and passed, task forces created, litigation initiated);
- A brief overview of the nominee’s career/organizational history, past involvement in state criminal justice reform;
- The ways in which the nominee’s efforts embody NACDL’s mission and values;
- How the nominee’s efforts have led to or set the groundwork for systemic change.
Supplementary materials — such as brochures, reports, or news articles — also may be included. Unlimited letters of support may be submitted.
Eligibility and Selection
The recipient shall be selected by the members of the NACDL® State Legislative Affairs Committee.
It is not necessary that the nominee be a lawyer; non-lawyer advocates and reformers will be considered. We encourage the nomination of directly impacted individuals and organizations led by directly impacted individuals. The Chair and Vice Chair of the State Legislative Affairs Committee are not eligible to receive this award but may submit nominations.
