About ACUF

Who We Are
The American Conservative Union Foundation (“ACUF”) is one of the nation’s oldest organizations representing grassroots conservatives throughout the United States. Founded more than five decades ago by William F. Buckley, ACUF works to advance our core values of liberty, personal responsibility, and fiscal responsibility – all of which are impacted by criminal justice reform. The mission of ACUF is to educate Americans about conservative solutions to the country’s most pressing problems.

The Nolan Center for Justice was established by the American Conservative Union Foundation to provide leadership for the growing conservative consensus that our criminal justice system is badly broken, and that there are proven, conservative reforms that will keep the public safe while restraining costs.
ACUF’s Nolan Center for Justice promotes policies that improve public safety, reduce government cost, and protect human dignity in our justice system. Criminal Justice Reform is a high priority for ACUF, and it has been highlighted at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) for several years.

The Center raises public awareness of conservative criminal justice reforms through opinion pieces, media interviews, briefing papers, and testifying as expert witnesses at government hearings. We also assist legislators and leaders of government agencies in applying conservative principles as they craft solutions to crime and justice issues.

Our Mission

To inform and mobilize public support for criminal justice reforms based on conservative principles, and to work with government officials to effectively implement those reforms.

PEOPLE WE HAVE WORKED WITH

The Center partners with the Right on Crime coalition, Prison Fellowship Ministries, the American Legislative Exchange Council, FreedomWorks, the Charles Koch Institute, and other organizations that pursue criminal justice reform from a conservative perspective. In addition, we regularly work with leaders in the Conservative movement such as Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, President Reagan’s Attorney General Ed Meese, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Tim Head of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, and Penny Nance of Concerned Women of America.

CPAC

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CPAC

Community Corrections and Clean Slates: Ideas States Can Undertake on Their Policy Plates

At the 2020 ALEC ‘virtual meeting,’ ACUF hosted a panel on community corrections and how clean slate laws better provide for second chances for individuals with a criminal history. Panelists included David Safavian from the American Conservative Union, as well as York County, Pennsylvania District Attorney David Sunday and Pennsylvania Representative Sheryl Delozier.

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Second Chances

The Center for Criminal Justice Reform regularly hosts panels on Justice Reform each year at the Conference. CPAC 2018 featured an enlightening conversation on Second Chances and the Conservative Case for reform with ACUF’s Pat Nolan and Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC), Chairman of the Republican Study Committee.