Speakers
Yong Lee Shie
Rob Jeffreys
David Brown
Plenary
Rob Jeffreys is a nationally recognized criminal justice expert with extensive experience leading transformative change to improve prison safety and reentry success. He is a champion of using research and data to drive decision-making, improve outcomes, and increase efficiency and effectiveness.
Mr. Jeffreys currently serves as the president of the Correctional Leaders Association, the director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, and a board member of the International Corrections and Prisons Association.
Under his leadership, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services has launched transformative reentry initiatives that engage an extensive base of public and private stakeholders to improve reentry success rates for individuals re-integrating into their communities after incarceration.
Prior to becoming director of NDCS in 2023, Mr. Jeffreys led transformational criminal justice reform as the director of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), where he created a dedicated reentry division, reduced the department’s restrictive housing population by 40 percent, and restructured and streamlined population reduction mechanisms that resulted in the state's lowest population level since 1991.
Mr. Jeffreys has also held several executive-level positions with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC), including chief of staff, regional director, bureau chief of classification, and warden.
As a consultant and trainer for the U.S. Department of Justice, the Crime and Justice Institute, and The Moss Group, Mr. Jeffreys has provided policy, program development, and specialized training to aid agencies in meeting their targeted goals and advancing their mission.
Mr. Jeffreys holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in criminal justice with a concentration in Correctional Administration from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
David Brown graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts, double major in Government in 1992. In January 1993 he joined the Queensland Corrective Services Commission as a Custodial Correctional Officer. Mr Brown has enjoyed a wide and varied career in corrections with experience across three jurisdictions. He has worked in both the private and public sector in a range of senior management roles.
In summary, his experience includes:
His academic qualifications include:
Appointed as Chief Executive of the Department for Correctional Services in South Australia in September 2012, he has overseen a critical period of growth and reform across the Department. He has played a key role in strengthening security and emergency management standards across the system; placing a renewed focus on offender rehabilitation, education and vocation training; and building community partnerships to improve reintegration of offender back into society once they leave prison. Mr Brown is passionate about creating an integrated approach to offender management that involves meaningful activity combined with targeted rehabilitation.
The South Australian Department for Correctional Services is pursuing the ambitious goal of reducing re-offending by 20% by 2026. David Brown is focused on implementing strategies that drive down the rate of re-offending including increased investment in rehabilitation programs, strengthening alternatives to custody such as Home Detention and building better prison services. Leadership development and succession planning has been a key focus during his time in South Australia and he believes the Department for Correctional Services is well positioned with an experienced Executive and Senior Management group.
