Reduce and Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Youth Probation Practice

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Regina Mitchell is the Chief Policy and Programs Officer at the Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP). In this capacity, Regina leads and manages CCLP’s programmatic work, and supervises program and policy staff. Regina also leads CCLP’s partnership with the Annie E Casey Foundation to include the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), Probation Transformation, and Diversion efforts. With over 25 years of experience in the field, Regina also assists law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the youth legal system, improve racial equity at the arrest and diversion decision points, and improve conditions of confinement. Before joining CCLP, Regina served as the State JDAI Administrator for the Ohio Department of Youth Services. Regina has adult and youth community corrections experience. She has experience as a gang investigator with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and teaching experience at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus, Ohio. Her experience also includes case management, youth outreach and mental health. Regina received a Thrasher Award for outstanding service in the field of criminal gangs from the National Gang Crime Research Center. Regina is PROSCI® Change Management Certified and holds a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Regina holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Tiffin University and a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University.

Sherika “Sheri” Shnider is managing attorney at the Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP) where she leads CCLP’s Stop Solitary for Kids Campaign, provides technical assistance to jurisdictions engaged in juvenile probation transformation, and works on other key projects focused on implementing alternatives to incarceration and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile legal system. Prior to joining CCLP, she served as Youth Policy Counsel at The Gault Center (formerly the National Juvenile Defender Center) where she worked on legal and policy initiatives related to youth defense. In this role, she provided training and technical assistance to juvenile legal system stakeholders across the country and helped to create and implement initiatives aimed at reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile legal system. She graduated with a BA in Sociology from The George Washington University and received her JD from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law where she was the recipient of the William P. Cunningham Award for exceptional achievement and service to the law school, as well as the Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Team Award for her representation of students in school disciplinary proceedings and individuals serving life sentences for offenses committed when they were children. Sheri graduated with a B.A. in Sociology from The George Washington University and received her J.D. from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law where she was the recipient of the William P. Cunningham Award for exceptional achievement and service to the Law School, as well as the Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Team Award for her representation of individuals serving life sentences for offenses committed when they were children and students in school disciplinary proceedings.