Innovations in Criminal Justice Reform || Faith Johnson at SILS ’17
- The Honorable Faith Johnson, Dallas County District Attorney, will headline the third installment of our 2017 Social Innovation Luncheon Series with her talk Innovations in Criminal Justice Reform.
Faith Johnson is a pioneer with a strong vision for criminal justice reform in Dallas. She has the distinction of being the first African-American female to serve as the District Attorney of Dallas County, was the first African-American female district criminal judge elected in Texas, serving as a presiding judge for 17 years, and was also the first African-American female to attain the highly regarded status of Chief Felony Prosecutor during her time in the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
This month’s Social Impact Spotlight is Dallas County’s AIM Program, led by Judge Brandon Birmingham. The Achieve Inspire Motivate, or AIM, program targets young, non-violent offenders. AIM will provide 12-18 months of pre-trial monitoring and case management which will encompass life and parenting skills, counseling and substance abuse treatment, if needed.
Join us on May 31st to hear about innovative practices, programs, and philisophies that can innovate Dallas’ criminal justice system.
Tickets:
$40 – General Admission
$50 – General Admission Week-Of Event (5/29-31)
$55 – General Admission At-The-Door
Date / Location:
May 31, 2017
11:30am – 1:00pm
Magnolia Hotel Dallas Park Cities
6070 N Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75206
About District Attorney Faith Johnson:
Faith Johnson is a pioneer. Her recent appointment as the first African-American female to serve as the District Attorney of Dallas County is one of Ms. Johnson’s several “firsts.” She has the distinction of being the first African-American female district criminal judge elected in Texas, serving as a presiding judge for 17 years, and was also the first African-American female to attain the highly regarded status of Chief Felony Prosecutor during her time in the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
As a judge, she handled thousands of felony cases ranging from drug possession and theft to sexual assault, child abuse, and capital murder. After leaving the bench, Ms. Johnson practiced with a non-profit law firm for two years before establishing Faith Johnson & Associates, L.L.P. in 2009.
Ms. Johnson is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Dallas Bar Association, and the U.S. Christian Chamber of Commerce, among other professional organizations. She is secretary and a board member of The Potter’s House of Dallas, and a past board member of several non-profit organizations.
In 2014, Ms. Johnson was appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Public Safety Commission, where she was one of five Commissioners who oversee homeland security, border patrol, and terrorism in Texas. She served on the commission until December 2016.
Ms. Johnson received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in community counseling from Georgia State University, and a law degree from Texas Southern University. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she is the youngest of 13 children born to Benjamin and Eva Simmons.
About Dallas County’s AIM Program:
The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office established the AIM Program in February of 2016 in an effort to reduce recidivism rates and thus the cost to Dallas County residents, by providing an alternative means of justice. Through a balanced curriculum of sanctions, incentives and rehabilitation, low level youthful offenders receive the tools and resources needed to ACHIEVE success and be given the opportunity to become productive and contributing members of society, rather than repeat offenders, making Dallas County a smarter, safer community.