Local officials shared their plans for police and criminal justice reform during a virtual event on Thursday.
Community members asked questions about police procedures, gun violence, criminal sentencing, and the prosecution of sexual assault. Jackson County State’s Attorney Joe Cervantez and Carbondale Interim Police Chief Stan Reno also shared plans for police and criminal justice reform.
Cervantez said his office is forming a citizen’s advisory board and is working on programs to prevent youth from entering the criminal justice system and help those who have been in the system return to useful citizenship. His office is also working to gather data to better understand the issue facing the community.
“We want to make sure we know what’s going on in Jackson county and we haven’t had a good way to collect data in our office,” he said.
Reno shared the police department’s efforts to increase transparency, including posting police policies online for the public to view. He said the police department is also working to add civilian positions focused on youth advocacy and behavioral health.
