NEA Big Read: Ernest J. Gaines on Criminal Justice

Dr. David N. Khey has focused his research on a few areas in criminology, criminal justice, and forensic science. In particular, he is currently investigating drug policy, control, and evidence-based criminal justice programming, including reentry services. Born and raised in South Florida during the late 1970s and early 80s, drug policy and enforcement quickly piqued his interest. In this topical area, Dr. Khey has presented research on drug and alcohol use/abuse and provided policy analysis to local and state officials in Florida. A highlight of this work includes an invitation to address the Governor’s Office Drug Policy Advisory Council in 2007. Dr. Khey is an active member of the American Society of Criminology, American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and Southern Criminal Justice Association. He excels in bridging personality differences across law enforcement, social workers, academics, pharmacists, faith leaders, and laypersons and has aided in bringing strong personalities together and aligning them to tackle common aims.

Kyung-Ji Kate Rhee, Co-Executive Director, oversees the policy, advocacy and training agenda at CNHJH. Kyung-Ji is nationally recognized for her expertise in campaign strategy development, youth justice advocacy and dynamic training design for system and community stakeholders on culture change, racial disparity and leadership growth. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Community Justice Network for Youth (CJNY), a project of the W. Haywood Burns Institute, and the Steering Committee of the New York City Task Force on Racial Disparity in the Juvenile Justice System. She has been featured in a range of publications, including Utne Reader (Top 30 Visionaries under 30), Village Voice, The Source (Top 10 Artists, Albums, & Political Players of the Year), The KoreAm Magazine, Gotham Gazette, New York Sun, and Brooklyn Free Press, among others. She received her BA from the University of Chicago where she worked with Michelle Obama and Pamela Bozeman to launch a public service community summer internship program for University of Chicago students.

The Reverend David F. Telfort is the eighth installed pastor of the Lafayette Ave. Presbyterian Church in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. He is the youngest called pastor and the first of African descent in the church’s 162-year history. David has served LAPC since the summer of 2017. The Brooklyn native studied Urban Environmental Policy at Occidental College. It was there he sensed a call to serve people in both the local church and the public sphere through community organizing. David earned his Masters of Divinity from Yale University’s School of Divinity where he further explored the connection between faith and our socio-political realities. He believes our systems and society should work for all people. He brings into every room he enters the presence of his Afro-Caribbean ancestors, leaning on them to do God’s will.