School of Law
School of Law
The Center for Criminal Justice Reform supports community-driven efforts to address the harm and inequity caused by the criminal legal system and improve public safety.
The University of Baltimore School of Law established the Center for Criminal Justice Reform (CCJR) in 2022 to address numerous challenges facing the nation, including mass incarceration and rising gun violence.
The Center, led by faculty director Professor David Jaros and executive director Heather Warnken, supports community-driven efforts to improve public safety and address the harm and inequity caused by the criminal legal system. It brings together diverse voices and decision-makers to examine how the criminal legal system currently functions and collaborates on strategies that promote justice throughout the country and in Baltimore.
The Center and a companion Criminal Defense and Advocacy Clinic launched in Spring 2023 and were made possible through a $3 million donation from Baltimore Law alumnus Samuel G. Rose, LL.B. '62. A retired commercial real estate developer who obtained his law degree while attending night classes, Rose had a highly successful career in commercial real estate, largely in metropolitan Washington, D.C., and worked for corporations including the Rouse Co. and the American Trading & Production Corp.
Through its initiatives and partnerships, the Center brings together community and government stakeholders to identify challenges and suggest solutions to the deeply rooted inequities in our criminal legal system. Public events play a vital role in fostering and maintaining these important conversations.
The Center also supports UBalt faculty and students in direct service initiatives, including the exoneration of wrongfully convicted individuals and efforts to release persons convicted as juveniles serving lengthy sentences. It affords UBalt students with additional experiential learning opportunities that foster tangible change across various criminal justice reform issues, and offers the opportunity to collaborate with grassroots organizations, policymakers, and those directly affected by these issues.