Readout of Justice Department Leadership’s Meeting with Civil Rights Groups to Discuss Key Issues

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 18, 2023
Readout of Justice Department Leadership’s Meeting with Civil Rights Groups to Discuss Key Issues

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division met with civil rights organizations yesterday at the Justice Department.

Department leadership heard from attending organizations on an array of topics including hate crimes and reporting, educational equity, voting rights, implementation of Executive Order 14074 on policing and criminal justice issues, and reproductive rights.

Some of the Department’s recent work on critical issues includes publishing a Dear Colleague letter on the imposition and enforcement of fines and fees on adults and youth by state and local courts and juvenile justice agencies and the release of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the safety of our communities while advancing thoughtful, evidence-informed initiatives and reforms throughout the criminal justice system, as put forth in the Department's Strategic Plan.

The meeting comes in advance of the three-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd and the one-year anniversary of the May 2022 Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing, and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety.

Department leadership pledged to continue robust civil rights enforcement in line with the Attorney General’s commitment to a department-wide approach to civil rights and to thoughtfully engaging communities on the issues that impact them.

Topic(s): Civil RightsComponent(s): Civil Rights DivisionOffice of the Associate Attorney GeneralOffice of the Attorney GeneralOffice of the Deputy Attorney GeneralPress Release Number: 23-757

Updated May 18, 2023Original Article