Newsroom
Welcome to the NCCD Newsroom. Here you will find what's new at NCCD, our latest blog posts, webcasts, press releases, news articles about NCCD, as well as news articles about the issues we care about.
What’s New at NCCD
US Attorney General Eric Holder Praises the Work of the California Cities Gang Prevention Network
May 13, 2010
The 4th annual meeting of the California Cities Gang Prevention Network was honored by a very special keynote address by the US Attorney General, Eric Holder. His address to a room full of city leaders, community activists, police chiefs, and members from the research and prevention fields touched on the widespread problem of youth exposed to violence and the importance of families and communities in improving outcomes for youth. He stressed that law enforcement cannot do the job alone and praised the Network for its diverse partnerships and collaborative efforts, especially in the face of budget shortfalls. He remarked that the Network had made great progress in its three years, noting the declines in violence in many of the participating cities.
Attorney General Holder stressed that the organizations and cities represented in the room will find a willing partner in both the White House and the Department of Justice, as evidenced by a $12 million request in the President’s 2011 budget. He expressed an understanding of the breadth and depth of the problems we face and a firm belief that solutions are well within reach.
The Attorney General concluded his visit by entertaining questions from the Network members, which touched on need for flexibility in funding and the ability to blend different funding sources. Attorney General Holder responded favorably, stating that Washington is a partner willing to listen and learn.
The transcript of the Attorney General's address can be found here:
http://www.justice.gov/ag/speeches/2010/ag-speech-100510.html
US Attorney General Eric Holder to Give Keynote Address at NCCD / NLC Gang Prevention Conference
May 5, 2010
US Attorney General Eric Holder will address local leaders during a meeting of the California Cities Gang Prevention Network in Sacramento, CA, on May 10. The Attorney General will discuss emerging federal policies and intergovernmental partnerships for reducing gang violence in cities.
The California Cities Gang Prevention Network seeks to reduce gang-related violence and victimization in 13 California cities: Fresno, Los Angeles, Oakland, Oxnard, Richmond, Sacramento, Salinas, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San José, Santa Rosa, and Stockton.
The California Cities Gang Prevention Network is sponsored by the National League of Cities’ (NLC) Institute for Youth, Education and Families and the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, and is supported by grants from The California Wellness Foundation and The California Endowment, with earlier support from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, the East Bay Community Foundation, and the Richmond Children’s Fund. Kaiser Permanente provided additional support for this meeting.
Media are invited to cover the Attorney General’s remarks - please contact Amanda Straub at (202) 626-3015 or straub@nlc.org.
For more information regarding the conference, please contact Linh Vuong at (510) 208-0500 x340 or
lvuong@sf.nccd-crc.org.
NCCD Announces the 2009 PASS Award Winners
March 24, 2010
NCCD is pleased to announce the 2009 Winners of its respected PASS Awards (Prevention for a Safer Society). NCCD honors the media’s success and vital role in illuminating the people and programs that uncover the root causes of crime and those that promise to protect our most precious resource—our youth—against involvement in crime.
A critical link in successful policies related to criminal and juvenile justice is the education of the public. The media is uniquely positioned to be this link, and we gratefully acknowledge their efforts to fulfill that responsibility. Each year the PASS Awards honor media professionals in the fields of print, literature, broadcast media, television, and film in recognition of thoughtful and factual coverage of the issues. Special consideration is given to those stories that highlight solutions to criminal and juvenile justice and child welfare problems.
We are currently accepting entries for the 2010 calendar year. Complete instructions and a printable entry form can also be found on the PASS Awards page of our website.
NCCD Announces New President
March 16, 2010
The NCCD Board of Directors is proud to welcome Alex Busansky as the organization’s new president effective May 1, 2010. Mr. Busansky brings with him more than two decades of direct experience with the criminal and juvenile justice systems, working in law enforcement, government, and the nonprofit sector.
The appointment of Mr. Busansky represents a key milestone in the organization’s multi-year transition plan developed by the Board, former NCCD President Dr. Barry Krisberg, and Executive Vice President Christopher Baird, who has served as president on an interim basis since December.
“The Board and staff are excited to be working with Alex, and about the future of NCCD,” said Vicki Spriggs, Chair of the Board of Directors. “We would like to thank Chris for providing a steady leadership presence to give us the time needed to complete our search and for making the transition process as smooth as possible; and Barry for creating such a strong foundation for the organization to build on.”
Mr. Busansky began his legal career as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Busansky came to Washington, DC after a decade in New York to work as an attorney in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice and, through a detail assignment, for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. In his most recent positions as the founding director of the Vera Institute of Justice’s Washington DC office and executive director of the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons, Mr. Busansky led the development and launch of numerous national and local criminal and juvenile justice initiatives for the organization.
“Alex’s creative vision, his dedication to this field, and his broad experience – at the federal, state, and local levels, and in policy and practice – make him uniquely qualified to lead NCCD and continue to build our national presence,” said Mr. Baird. “His commitment to research, collaborations, and partnerships complements that of the organization, and will further advance our work to improve adult corrections, child welfare, and juvenile justice systems.”
Mr. Baird will resume his responsibilities as the manager of NCCD’s Madison office, which includes the Children’s Research Center and other projects, a position he has held for 25 years. Dr. Krisberg, who led the organization for more than 25 years and brought NCCD to a new level of national prominence, has joined the staff of the Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice at the U.C. Berkeley School of Law as a Distinguished Senior Fellow and Lecturer in Residence. He will also continue his work on several projects as a Distinguished Senior Fellow at NCCD.
Mr. Busansky will be based in NCCD’s Oakland, California office.