Washington, D.C. — The Center for American Progress welcomes Todd A. Cox as a Senior Fellow, where he will be working on criminal justice issues including ending mass incarceration through smarter sentencing, developing a fair and nondiscriminatory justice system, and reducing recidivism and increasing public safety by ensuring that individuals with criminal records are afforded a second chance.
Cox joins CAP having served in the administration of President Barack Obama as the director of the Office of Communications and Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for the past four years, where he was appointed to oversee management of the agency’s public policy and communications. Cox assisted in the development and promotion of the agency’s policy on the use of criminal records in employment and also represented the agency on the Federal Interagency Reentry Council, a body dedicated to developing the federal government’s policy response to the needs of the formerly incarcerated and those with criminal records. Before joining the commission, he was a program officer in, and the acting deputy director of, the human rights unit at the Ford Foundation, where he managed programs and strategies that promoted legal and policy advocacy and strategic communications and applied research dedicated to securing the equal rights of racial and ethnic minorities and indigenous people in the United States and Latin America.
“We are delighted to welcome Todd and his invaluable input to CAP as a seasoned professional in the criminal justice space,” said Neera Tanden, CAP President. “As our airwaves are once again saturated with news of yet another tragic encounter that ended the life of a young man of color, it is evident that our nation’s criminal justice system is deeply flawed and in need of comprehensive reform at the federal, state, and local levels. The time is now to make progress, and we look forward to working with Todd to push for common-sense reforms.”
Since receiving his juris doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Cox has held positions at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He received his bachelor of arts from Princeton University.
Cox has made numerous media appearances, presented in professional panels, and authored several articles, including several pieces on race and redistricting and voting rights. His publications include Race and Redistricting: Myths, Truths, and Facts; Enforcing Voting Rights in the Clinton Administration as We Approach the New Millennium; and Redistricting: How to Keep It Honest, among others.
For more information, contact Tanya S. Arditi at [email protected] or 202.741.6258.
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