In his new position, Dr. Fabelo will design, develop and implement a research agenda for the Justice Center. He will also provide technical assistance to state and local governments to help them increase public safety and make more efficient uses of state and local taxpayer dollars. Dr. Fabelo will be based in Austin, Texas, where the Justice Center is currently conducting extensive work on two issues: improving the response of the criminal justice system to people with mental illnesses, and justice reinvestment, which is a data-driven criminal justice policy strategy to break the cycle of recidivism, avert prison expenditures and make communities safer.

Texas State Representative Jerry Madden, Chair of the Texas House Corrections Committee and a member of the Justice Center's board of directors, was enthusiastic to have someone with Dr. Fabelo's national reputation and years of experience working for the benefit of policymakers from every state in the country.

"Dr. Fabelo's work has guided the justice policies of Democratic and Republican governors and legislatures in Texas for the last 23 years, and I am proud to see him now contribute to other states with his work at the Justice Center," Representative Madden said.

Dr. Fabelo previously served as a senior-level consultant to the Justice Center, providing expert advice on research and policy issues as well as hands-on assistance to many state and local governments across the country seeking to manage the growth of their prison population and improve the effectiveness of their probation and parole supervision systems.

He was the executive director of the Texas Criminal Justice Policy Council from 1991 to 2003. He started working with the agency in 1984 and served as Director of Research and Deputy Director. During his tenure, he advised five governors (including former Governors Ann Richards and George W. Bush) and ten regular biennial Texas legislatures in developing criminal and juvenile justice policies.

In 1992, Dr. Fabelo received the G. Paul Sylvestre Award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics for "outstanding achievement in advancing criminal justice statistics in the states."

He also recently served as Senior Research Associate at the JFA Institute, and in his new position will continue to work closely with JFA Institute President Dr. Jim Austin and his team.

"Dr. Fabelo will be a tremendous asset to the Justice Center team," said Massachusetts State Representative Mike Festa, chair of the Justice Center'sboard of directors. "Tony is nationally known not only for his insights on criminal justice policy, but also for his ability to translate complex data into coherent, practical recommendations for policymakers--a hallmark of the Justice Center's work."

Dr. Fabelo received a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola University in New Orleans, an M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. He is fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Fabelo can be reached at (512) 507-6653 or tfabelo@csg.org.