Attorney General Jeff Sessions today named Director of the National Institute of Justice Dr. David Muhlhausen as Executive Director of Federal Interagency Council on Crime Prevention and Improving Reentry (FIRC) and announced that Ja’Ron Smith, Domestic Policy Council Director of Urban Affairs and Revitalization, was also announced as the White House liaison to the FIRC.

“Recidivism rates in this country are unacceptably high,” Attorney General Sessions said. “That means more costs for society, more dangerous work for our law enforcement officers, and more crime. That’s why, under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is committed to improving outcomes for those reintegrating into society who want to abide by our laws. The FIRC plays a critical role in making that progress possible, and so I want to thank Director Muhlhausen for his willingness to serve and for his hard work on this issue already. I am confident that he will be a success in this new position.”

The FIRC was established in response to Executive Order 13826 on March 7, 2018 and is co-chaired by Attorney General Sessions, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy Andrew P. Bremberg, and the Senior Advisor to the President in charge of the White House Office of American Innovation Jared Kushner. The FIRC is part of President Trump’s effort to encourage prison reform, reduce recidivism, combat crime, and improve public safety.

Director Muhlhausen joined the National Institute of Justice in 2017. Previously, he served as a research fellow in empirical policy analysis at the Heritage Foundation, where he worked since 1999. Dr. Muhlhausen has testified frequently before Congress on the efficiency and effectiveness of various Federal programs. He has been called by the House and Senate Committees on the Judiciary to discuss how to improve policing strategies, prisoner reentry programs, and other important criminal justice programs.

The National Institute of Justice is dedicated to improving knowledge and understanding of crime and justice issues. The Institute provides objective and independent research and tools to inform the decision-making of policymakers in order to reduce crime and advance justice, particularly at the state and local levels.

More information about the National Institute of Justice can be found at www.nij.gov. More information about OJP can be found at www.ojp.gov.