Laurie O. Robinson

Laurie Robinson (born July 7, 1946) is an American scholar and public servant who has held multiple positions across government, academia, and the nonprofit sector. Robinson's most notable roles include serving as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs under former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and co-chairing Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. She also served on the congressionally created Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections and on an independent commission that explored the potential closure of New York City's Rikers Island jail complex. Most recently, Robinson served as founding Chair of the Board of Directors of the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan policy and research organization.

Early life and education

Robinson was born (July 7, 1946) and raised in Washington, D.C. She graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University in 1968 with a B.A. in Political Science.

Career

Robinson began her professional career as a journalist, spending three years reporting and editing for the Community News Service.

In 1972, she joined the American Bar Association and spent seven years as assistant staff director for the criminal justice division and 14 years as director. During her tenure, she founded the ABA's Juvenile Justice Center and led initiatives on sentencing, federal criminal code reform, and indigent defense.

After leaving the administration, Robinson served from 2001 to 2009 as a distinguished senior scholar in the University of Pennsylvania's Jerry Lee Center of Criminology and as executive director of its Forum on Crime and Justice.

In 2008, Robinson returned to government service when President Obama appointed her to a second tour as Assistant Attorney General in charge of OJP. In her time at OJP, she emphasized science and evidence-based programming. Notably, she led the launch of a project that improved the integration of evidence into OJP programs. She retired from this position in 2021, but she remains a Senior Fellow at the university's Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy.

President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing

In 2014, President Obama named Robinson Co-Chair, with former Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., police leader Charles H. Ramsey, of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Created by executive order, the panel was established in response to the unrest in Ferguson, MO, following the police shooting of Michael Brown. The 11-member task force included academics, law enforcement officials, and civil rights activists. Its mission was to identify policing best practices and develop recommendations to strengthen trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. The task force final report and recommendations were released in May 2015. A renewed "call to action" was released by Robinson, Ramsey, and other task force members in April 2023 following the killing of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police.

Other leadership roles

In 2014, Robinson was named to the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections, a congressionally mandated panel charged with examining challenges in the federal prison system and developing practical, data-driven policy responses. Two years later, she was appointed to an independent commission convened to explore the potential for closing New York City's Rikers Island jail complex.

In 2000, she received the Edmond J. Randolph Award for outstanding service to the United States Department of Justice, presented by Attorney General Janet Reno.

In 2010, she received the Blueprints for Violence Prevention's Pioneer in Prevention Award for Vision and Leadership in Promotion of Effective Crime Prevention Policy.

In 2012, Robinson received the National Criminal Justice Association's Career Service Award for substantial contributions to the field of criminal justice, as well as the Justice Policy Leadership Award, presented by SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics. Robinson, L., "50 Years Later: The Kerner Commission Legacy," Translational Criminology (Fall, 2018). Robinson, L., "Policing in the U.S.: From the Kerner Legacy Looking Forward," in Fred Harris and Alan Curtis (eds.), Healing our Divided Society – Investing in America Fifty Years After the Kerner Report. Temple University Press. (2018). Robinson, L., Ramsey C. The Future of Policing Reform: The Way Forward? Public Administration Review, Vol. 77, Iss. 2. March/April 2017. DOI: 10.111/puar.12736. Lum, C., Koper, C., Gill, C., Hibdon J., Telep, C., & Robinson, L. An Evidence-Assessment of the Recommendations of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing: Implementation and Research Priorities. Alexandria, VA: International Association of Chiefs of Police. (2016). Robinson, L. & Abt, T., "Evidence-informed Criminal Justice Policy: Looking Back, Moving Forward," in Thomas Blomberg, Julie Mestre Brancale, Kevin Beaver and William Bales, (eds.), Advancing Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy. Routledge. (2016) Davis, E. & Robinson, L., "Modeling Successful Research-Practitioner Partnerships," Translational Criminology (Fall, 2014). Robinson, L., Introduction to Reducing Crime, Reducing Incarceration: Essays on Criminal Justice Innovation. Berman, Greg. New Orleans: Quid Pro LLC (2013). Braga, A., Robinson, L., & Davis, E., "Encouraging a Broader Set of Criminologists to Form Research Partnerships with Police Departments," The Criminologist, Vol. 38, No. 4 (July/August 2013). Robinson, L., "Bridging the Gap between Science and Criminal Justice Policy: The Federal Role," Translational Criminology (Spring 2013). Robinson, L., "Federal Leaders: Larger Role on Reentry," Advancing Practice (April 2013). Robinson, L., "Bringing Science to the Forefront of Criminal Justice Policy," The Criminologist, Vol. 37, No. 2 (March/April 2012). Robinson, L., "Exploring Certainty and Severity: Perspectives from a Federal Perch," Criminology and Public Policy, Vol. 10, Issue 1 (February 2011). Robinson, L., "The Federal Role in Promoting Evidence-Based Practice," The Academy of Experimental Criminology Newsletter, Vol. 5, Issue 1 (April 2010). Robinson, L., "Commentary on McCoy -- Problem-Solving Courts," American Criminal Law Review, Vol. 40., No. 4 (Fall, 2003). Robinson, L., "The Future Federal Role in State and Local Criminal Justice Assistance: Gazing into the Legislative Crystal Ball," Corrections Today (December, 2002). Robinson, L., and Travis, J., "Managing Prisoner Reentry for Public Safety," Federal Sentencing Reporter, Vol. 12, No. 5 (March/April 2000). Robinson, L., "Sex Offender Recidivism: A Challenge for the Court," Court Review (Journal of the American Judges Association) (Spring, 1999). Robinson, L., "Introduction," Justice Research & Policy, Vol. 1, No. l (Spring, 1999). Robinson, L., "Managing Sex Offenders in the Community: Challenges and Progress," Perspectives (publication of the American Probation and Parole Association), (Fall, 1998).