Lieutenant Governor Takes Over as Chair of Delaware Criminal Justice Oversight Agency

Denn Will Encourage Vigilant Law Enforcement, Crime Prevention, Reducing Recidivism, and Involving Delaware's Faith Community in Criminal Justice Efforts

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wilmington - Delaware Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn was elected yesterday to chair the state's Criminal Justice Council. The Council is an independent organization charged by Delaware law with allocating all federal criminal justice block funds, recommending annual changes in the state's criminal justice laws to the Delaware General Assembly, and recommending changes to the Governor and other government agencies to improve the oversight of criminal justice.

The Council has 27 members, representing a variety of state executive branches, state and federal courts, and members of the public. Family Court Chief Judge Chandlee Johnson Kuhn will serve as the Council's Vice Chair. The Council elects its own chair and vice chair.

The CJC recently distributed approximately $8 million in federal stimulus funds, and annually distributes over $6 million in federal criminal justice funds. The Council reports funding over 190 different criminal justice programs.

Denn's four strategic goals as chair of the CJC will be to:

• Ensure that Delaware law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to vigilantly enforce the law, including the use of new and emerging law enforcement technologies;

• Help law enforcement agencies to control crime in Delaware during an economically challenging time by focusing on prevention strategies;

• Reduce the number of inmates who return to prison after being released; and

• Increase the involvement of Delaware's faith community in criminal justice efforts.

Denn will begin his tenure as CJC chair by holding public hearings in all three counties, in order to hear from the public regarding the needs of the criminal justice system and methods to implement the goals he has laid out. "The responsibility of anyone stepping into a position like this is to hear from the public, including local law enforcement, about the needs of the system," Denn said. "The Council oversees a significant amount of money and staff, and we need to be answerable to the public about how we do so."

Former chairs of the Criminal Justice Council include former Lieutenant Governor John C. Carney and former United States Attorney Carl Schnee.