Ulster Justice and Reform Commission Formed

KINGSTON – Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, signed an executive order establishing a commission to reform policing practices and promote criminal justice in the county.

The Ulster County Justice and Reform Commission will convene by the end of June and will focus on critical issues to ensure justice for all county residents, said Ryan.

They include ending mass incarceration, police oversight and accountability, addressing systemic racial bias, and healing divisions between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Ryan said the time is now to enact real change to address systemic racism and ensure equal justice for all residents.

The mission of the group will be to lay out a specific set of policy and legislative changes in the county that will ensure justice for every resident and drive needed reforms in the criminal justice system. The commission will meet regularly over the coming weeks and months, and include a series of public forums to ensure all voices are heard in a transparent fashion. The group will consist of relevant stakeholders including religious leaders, elected officials, law enforcement, community group leaders, and others.

The Ulster County Justice and Reform Commission is made up of the following members:
County Attorney Clint Johnson – Chair
President of the Ulster County Police Chiefs Association Kyle Berardi
President of the Ellenville Chapter of the NAACP Maude Bruce
Kingston City School Board and Pastor of Pointe of Praise Church Rev. James Childs
District Attorney Dave Clegg
Sheriff Juan Figueroa
Ulster County Legislator Heidi Haynes
First Assistant County Attorney Lauren Sheeley
Youth Member Jackson Speller
Executive Director of the Peaceful Guardians Project Lester Strong
Ulster County Legislator Eve Walter
Human Rights Commissioner Tyrone Wilson
Kingston Alderwoman Rita Worthington
Ellenville Village Trustee Ray Younger
Citizen Action Representative