Policy Committees

Legislative Chair: Representative Phyllis Katsakiores (NH)

Private Sector Chair: Joy Westrum & Rick Pendery, Second Chance

Agenda for the 69th Annual Conference Policy Committee Meeting [ Word Document ]
Speaker Information Sheet [ Word Document ]

Crime, Justice, Terrorism & Substance Abuse and Intertribal Joint Policy Committee
Speakers in the Crime, Justice, Terrorism & Substance Abuse and Intertribal Joint Policy Committee spoke to members on a number of policy issues the Committee has been working to address such as Human Trafficking, Recidivism and Prison Rehabilitation, and Access to Recovery and Reintegration Programs for the National Guard.
Phil Kline, District Attorney for Johnson County, Kansas provided insight into human trafficking from the law enforcement perspective drawing from his experiences as a former State Attorney General.
Joy Westrum of the Second Chance Center addressed methamphetamine abuse treatment and prison rehabilitation. Jarmaine McChriston, a Second Chance Center student spoke to Committee members about his personal successes and the successes of the program in the areas of treatment and rehabilitation.
The issue of National Guard reintegration was also addressed by Rep. Kathy Tingelstad (MN) who highlighted Minnesota's unique Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides critical support services to National Guard members returning from deployment in the Middle East. Beverly Watts Davis, Senior Policy Advisor for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also discussed substance abuse prevention and access to treatment vouchers for returning National Guard members.

NFWL's Crime, Justice, Terrorism, & Substance Abuse Policy Committee has recently partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice on the Project Safe Childhood initiative where NFWL's Shoulder to Shoulder Team Leaders will work with the U.S. Attorneys in every state to create and implement plans to apprehend predators who target children. This Committee will also spend the year building on NFWL's Call to ACTION (Assign, Communicate, Train, Initiate, Oversee, Network) which was introduced last March and addresses the homeland security concerns facing the United States, including raising awareness about the importance of establishing a "culture of preparedness."

Committee Initiatives:

• Working with the National Guard's Counterdrug Program to encourage school children nationwide to make good choices, decide to be drug free, and realize that the opportunities available to them are limitless
• Reducing recidivism rates through the implementation of effective substance abuse rehabilitation programs in our nation's prisons
• Finding and implementing successful solutions to the nation's rising Meth problem and abuse of other illegal substances
• Preventing the spread of human trafficking and child prostitution by ensuring that legislation exists in every state and U.S. territory allowing law enforcement officials to apprehend, prosecute, and convict offenders and by raising public awareness so that victims of human trafficking and child prostitution can be easily identified and rescued
• Introducing and passing legislation that allows law enforcement officials in different municipalities, counties, and states to work together and share DNA evidence in missing persons and child abduction cases that involve unidentified remains
• Addressing homeland security concerns facing our nation, including raising awareness about the importance of the "culture of preparedness"
• Partnerships with the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Guard, and the Second Chance Center

Sub-Commities include:

• Civil Justice Sub-Committee
• Joint Sub-Committee on Mental Health, Alcohol and Substance Abuse
• Law Enforcement, Corrections and Courts