National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice

A Glimpse At Our Milestones and Collaborations
National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice
Where Have We Been
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The National Association of Blacks in Criminal
Justice is a non-partisan, non-profit service
organization whose purpose is to examine and
act upon the needs of African Americans and
other minorities as they relate to the
administration of equal justice.
It is comprised of criminal justice professionals
and community leaders dedicated to the
eradication of injustices in the American judicial
process. Membership and participation in the
organization is open to all, irrespective of race,
creed or country of national origin.
Where Have We Been
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The organization's humble beginnings originated as
over three hundred individuals, mostly practitioners
from diverse areas of the criminal justice system,
assembled to examine the effects of racism on the
criminal justice system.
 The goal from the beginning was to make the
criminal justice system a fair and equitable system
for all.
 The practitioners were disheartened as they were
underrepresented or nonexistent as decision
makers and employees, as well as being
concerned about the over representation of
minorities in the criminal justice system.
Where Are We Now
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Today, NABCJ's membership is broad based
and consists of thousands who serve in
chapters located in 22 states and the West
Indies (Trinidad and Tobago).
Chapters interface directly on a year-round
basis with community stakeholders which are
best suited to local needs.
NABCJ represents the entire spectrum of
criminal justice professionals including those in
law enforcement, institutional and community
corrections, courts, social services, academia
and community-based groups.
Where Are We Now
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The National Alliance of Faith and Justice
(NAFJ) is a 501(c)(3) organization based in
Washington, DC.
Founded in 2000 as the National Religious
Affairs Committee of the National Association
of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ),
incorporated independently in 2003 as NAFJ,
its core mission is to promote evidenced based
practices, training, and the participation of faith
practitioners in addressing prevention,
consequences, and resolutions of crime with
emphasis upon the most vulnerable.
NAFJ now serves as a primary collaborative
partner of NABCJ.
Facilitating Assistance in
Transition and Healing
Cincinnati, Ohio
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On a balmy Saturday night in April 2001, an
unarmed 19-year-old black man, Timothy Thomas,
was shot and killed by a white Cincinnati police
officer, Stephen Roach. Two days later, hundreds of
protesters mobbed City Hall and the city was
overrun by rioters for four days—stores were looted
and set on fire, shots were fired at police, innocent
citizens were attacked.
Afraid of assaults and belligerent protesters,
suburbanites shunned downtown.
The riots cost at least $35 million in property
damage, lawsuits and boycott losses.
Since 1995, there had been 15 fatal police
shootings of black men, and none of whites but
details later indicated the majority were in selfdefense.
Cincinnati, Ohio
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The shooting death of
Timothy Thomas was a tragic
mistake by a 27-year-old cop
startled during a foot pursuit
in a dark alley.
It was later revealed that
Officer Roach's first words
after the shooting were: "It
just went off. My gun just
went off."
He was eventually acquitted
of negligent homicide and
after several years of
negotiations, areas of
progress were reached.
Cincinnati, Ohio
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On May 19 - 21, 2001,
the National Association
of Blacks in Criminal
Justice (NABCJ)
represented by Keith
Branch, Executive
Director; Rev. Warren
Dolphus, Chairman of
Religious Affairs; and
Addie Richburg, Chief
Domestic Strategist, met
with state
representatives, key
community leaders,
clergy, and city travel
and tourism officials.
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The purpose of multiple
meetings held between
May and July were to
officially offer the
assistance of NABCJ as
one of several national
mediation groups to
facilitate change,
training, healing and
other support as needed
to restore the people and
operation of the city to its
rightful place.
Cincinnati, Ohio
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NABCJ responded with great 
concern in recognizing its
connection to African American
citizens of the city as well as
fellow criminal justice
colleagues of the police
department.
The tragedy and challenges 
faced by Cincinnati were
strongly aligned with NABCJ’s
mission and the need for more
specializec training workshops
to address the sensitivities of
law enforcement and race
relations inside and outside the
force as well as the quality of
dialogue with the people and
the city officials of Cincinnati.
The choice of Cincinnati as
host city for the 2001
Annual Conference and
Training Institute had been
made over a year before
the tragic death of Timothy
Thomas.
Rather than withdraw from
the city as many
organizations did, NABCJ’s
conference became a
useful environment to
reflect with colleagues and
used to make,
recommendations as well
as to stimulate
conversations to promote
peace and change.
Jefferson Parrish, Louisiana
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The Jefferson Parish
Black Church Taskforce
Initiative began in March
2004, when the late
Sheriff Harry Lee
convened close to 100
clergy to discuss and ask
for their help with the
number of black-on black
homicides occurring in
the parish.
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His goal was not the
success of solving
murders, but to put
measures in place, with the
assistance of the faith
community, to prevent the
occurrence of murders.
To assist in this goal, the
National Religious Affairs
Association of NABCJ
(now NAFJ) was invited to
establish a demonstration
effort in the parish by the
Center for Faith and
Service of the National
Crime Prevention Council.
Jefferson Parrish, Louisiana
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One of the greatest
challenges, but a highly
significant step in
accomplishing this goal,
was to gain solidarity
with the black faith
community and to
encourage their
cooperation with law
enforcement, with each
other which superceded
denominational and
theological divides, and
maintaining their
consistent interest.
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Each of these variables
have were accomplished
prior to interruption of
monthly town hall
meetings and multifaceted training by
Hurricane Katrina.
A 23-minute video
entitled, “A Charge To
Keep We Have: Cops,
Clergy, Community”
documents the
measurable success to
date of this initiative.
National Black Church
Taskforce on Crime and
Criminal Justice
National Black Church Taskforce
on Crime and Criminal Justice
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The Black Church
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Taskforce Model on Crime
and Criminal Justice is a
faith-based initiative
developed in 2003 by the
National Religious Affairs
Association (NRAA) for
nationwide replication and
demonstration in
cooperation with its parent
body, NABCJ.
Following an initial
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workgroup held at the
University of Pennsylvania
in Philadelphia, the first
national workgroup was
convened in St. Louis,
Missouri.
Responding to public
opinion surveys and the
critical need for direction,
the initiative offers a
comprehensive approach
which includes training and
capacity building with
specific guidance in
organizing and mobilizing
efforts to deal with the
consequences of crime.
The model consists of nine
workgroups where
stakeholders work side by
side with people of faith,
even in non-traditional
instances.
Annual National Conference
and Training Institute
Annual National Conference and Training Institute
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NABCJ held its 41st Annual Conference and Training
Institute in Orlando, Florida in July 2014.
The National Conference and Training Institute serves
as a premier four-day series which offers an extensive
array of workshops and official training opportunities for
all serving in or as stakeholders of the criminal justice
system.
Among components of the annual conference are (but
are not exclusive to):
– - Opportunities for agency recruitment and
employment networking with key executives from
around the country;
– - Presentation of an annual scholarship award
– - An annual criminal justice forum dedicated to the
discussion of current policy and legislative actions
– - A national youth mentoring training summit
Take A Stand To Keep A Seat
National Youth Mentoring
Training Summit
Take A Stand To Keep A Seat
National Youth Mentoring Training Summit
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NAFJ convenes the PEN OR PENCIL™ National Youth
Mentoring Training Summit (Take A Stand To Keep A
Seat) to bridge divides between criminal justice
professionals with educational, youth-serving and other
national community stakeholders by preparing mentors
to assist thousands of youth most at risk of structural
inequities, unconscious bias, underachievement or
behavioral challenges.
Summits demonstrate examples of curriculum activities
educate and empower; examples which use history as a
transformational element and to exchange critical
information and enriching mentoring experiences. The
summit brings criminal justice professionals, a critical
mentoring population, together with youth mentees to
include specialized program-based activities which
improve communication techniques.
PEN OR PENCIL™
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POP™ uses the history of the Underground Railroad,
engagement, and youth leadership during the Civil
Rights Movement as the mentoring approach to
mobilize, reach, teach, and inspire our youth who
struggle through immense social, environmental, family,
and school stressors.
It is delivered using an evidenced-based, clearly defined
group mentoring curriculum which is culturally based
and translates history through today’s experiences
across a nationwide network of clinical practitioners and
authorized program affiliates.
POP™ was selected by the Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency of the U.S. Department of Justice for
expansion in October 2011 for its multi-state use and
study of cultural based mentoring as an intervention to
enhance academic achieve and increase
transformational behavior.
Ready4Work
Ready4Work
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R4W was launched in 
2003 (formally ended
August 2006) and was a
three-year pilot program
to address the needs of 
ex-prisoners utilizing
Faith-Based and
Community
Organizations (FBCO).
This $25 million program
was jointly funded by the
U.S. Department of
Labor (DOL), the U.S. 
Department of Justice,
Public/Private Ventures
and a consortium of
private foundations.
Ready4Work placed
community organizations at
the center of social service
delivery to ex-offenders.
It placed an emphasis on
employment focused
programs that incorporate
mentoring, job training, job
placement, case
management and other
comprehensive transitional
services.
NABCJ was responsible for
the selection of Jacksonville
as one of five pilot cities.
National Reentry Media
Outreach
National Reentry Media Outreach Campaign
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With over 200 criminal
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justice professionals, faithbased leaders, and
community stakeholders in
attendance, on Wednesday
morning, July 20, 2005, To
Serve This Present Age:
Reentering Through Faith 
was screened by NAFJ at
the 32nd Annual Conference
and Training Institute of
NABCJ in Dallas, Texas.
To Serve This Present Age
(video/DVD) was
developed by the Reentry
National Media Outreach
Campaign in collaboration
with The Annie E. Casey
Foundation and NAFJ.
The production and its
accompanying Viewer
Resource Guide are
organized around five
training modules filmed in
communities served by
NABCJ.
To learn more about us,
Visit www.nabcj.org
To learn more about our
partner, visit www.nafj.org