Carlton T. Mayers II joins the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) as Policy Counsel for its Policing Reform Campaign, where he will advance LDF’s efforts to effect responsible and unbiased policing by working with local communities and stakeholders. The Policing Reform campaign, which is housed in LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute, addresses the national crisis in policing by using research, public education, policy and legislative advocacy, litigation, community organizing, and communications strategies to achieve systemic reforms at the local, state, and national levels.
“Mayers’ knowledge of the various facets of law enforcement and criminal justice and his experience working directly with the prison population will add great value to our justice reform efforts,” said Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of LDF. “We look forward to working with him and welcome him as he joins the LDF family.”
Mayers previously served as the Criminal Justice Program Manager for the NAACP National Headquarters where he co-authored Born Suspect, a report on racial profiling, and advanced program initiatives on issues such as sentencing reform, prisoner reentry, juvenile justice and death penalty reform. Prior to his engagement with the NAACP, Mayers was the Prisoner Reentry Mediation Program Manager, as well as a Mediator and Facilitator for AmeriCorps in Montgomery County, Maryland.
“My work to shed light on inequality within the criminal justice system prepares me to tackle the challenge of creating and maintaining a safe community through improved interactions and dialogue between law enforcement and the citizens they are charged to protect” said Mayers. “I look forward to working with LDF and using my past experiences to create and implement best practices in the field for policing reform.”
Mayers has a B.S. of Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology from Emory University and a J.D. and Master’s in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School. He will join LDF in its Washington, D.C. office.
The Policing Reform Campaign is the inaugural campaign of LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute, a research, policy, and strategic communications hub within LDF. Lead counsel on the campaign is Deputy Director of Policy and Senior Counsel Monique Dixon.
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The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is not a part of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) although LDF was founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. Since 1957, LDF has been a completely separate organization. Please refer to us in all media attributions as the “NAACP Legal Defense Fund” or “LDF”.
