Longtime Criminal Justice Leader Jeremy Travis joins CUNY ISLG as Senior Fellow

By Carla Sinclair, Senior Communications Associate

The veteran criminal justice leader joins ISLG, bringing his extensive experience to ISLG’s work partnering with government and communities to create meaningful reforms, services, and systems.

The CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance (ISLG) is delighted to announce that Jeremy Travis will be joining the organization as a Senior Fellow. Travis brings an unmatched breadth of experience in criminal justice policy, research, and reform, in leadership roles across the government, academic, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors. 

"Jeremy has been a friend and colleague for over four decades, and I am tremendously pleased to welcome him to ISLG," said Michael Jacobson, ISLG Executive Director. "His extensive experience has given him an unmatched understanding of what makes our criminal justice and other systems work, and his insights will be invaluable as we grow our work and explore new partnerships both locally and nationally."

"His extensive experience has given him an unmatched understanding of what makes our criminal justice and other systems work, and his insights will be invaluable as we grow our work and explore new partnerships both locally and nationally."

- Michael Jacobson, ISLG Executive Director

Travis has held a series of influential roles throughout his career. He was the Founding Director of the New York City Criminal Justice Agency, and has served as the Deputy Commissioner for Legal Matters at the NYPD and as a Special Advisor to the Mayor of New York City. At the federal level, he served as the Chief Counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, the Chair of the Committee on Law and Justice of the National Research Council, and was appointed Director of the National Institute of Justice under President Bill Clinton. He also served as a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, the President of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY), and Executive Vice President for Criminal Justice at Arnold Ventures. Most recently, he was a Senior Fellow at the Columbia University Justice Lab.

“I have long admired the work of ISLG and the leadership of Michael Jacobson," said Travis.  "By combining rigorous research and pragmatic partnerships with government agencies, ISLG has achieved an impressive record of policy reforms. I also welcome this opportunity to return to CUNY, the beating heart of New York City."

"By combining rigorous research and pragmatic partnerships with government agencies, ISLG has achieved an impressive record of policy reforms. I also welcome this opportunity to return to CUNY, the beating heart of New York City."

- Jeremy Travis, ISLG Senior Fellow

As an author, Travis has contributed extensively to the field. He is the author of But They All Come Back: Facing the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry and co-editor, with Bruce Western and Steve Redburn, of the National Academy of Sciences report The Growth of Incarceration in the United States: Exploring Causes and Consequences.

At ISLG, Travis will initially focus on developing work rethinking prison and jail systems. He will also provide strategic guidance on several of ISLG’s core projects, including the transformation of data collected through the Safety and Justice Challenge into a sustainable resource for the field, as well as a thought partner on expanding government fellowship programs.

“We are thrilled to have Jeremy's counsel as we continue to grow our work and impact,” said Jacobson. “Our work will benefit greatly from his deep expertise and thoughtful perspective.”

Photo provided by Jeremy Travis.