WASHINGTON ― Amy L. Solomon was sworn in today as the Department of Justice’s Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. As OJP’s Assistant Attorney General, she heads the Department’s largest funding, research and statistical component, overseeing about $5 billion annually in grants and other resources to support state, local and tribal criminal and juvenile justice activities and victim service programs.
“It is an immense honor to serve this Department and work alongside such expert and dedicated colleagues who are so committed to our mission to support safe and just communities," said Assistant Attorney General Solomon. “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and will do everything in my power to support this outstanding organization and the vital work we are doing on behalf of America’s communities."
Solomon was nominated for the post by President Biden and confirmed by a bipartisan vote of the Senate on April 18. She served as OJP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General prior to her nomination. Before joining OJP in May 2021, she was Vice President of Criminal Justice at Arnold Ventures, where she launched and led a corrections reform portfolio aimed at reducing the reach and transforming the culture of prisons, shifting the focus of community supervision from catching failure to promoting success, and expanding economic opportunities for people with criminal records. Solomon previously served for seven years in the Obama administration as director of policy for OJP and as senior advisor to OJP’s Assistant Attorney General. She was also executive director of the Federal Interagency Reentry Council, coordinating the efforts of more than 20 federal agencies and spearheading major policy reforms on a range of reentry issues.
Solomon spent 10 years directing reentry and public safety projects at the Urban Institute and has served on numerous advisory councils and boards, helping shape innovative approaches to criminal justice challenges in collaboration with policymakers and practitioners, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders, and the advocacy community. She has received several awards for her pioneering work, including the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Leadership to the Cabinet-level Reentry Council.
She holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs