John Koufos

John directs the advocacy strategy for Arnold Ventures’ criminal justice team, with a primary focus on pretrial justice. In this role, John works with internal, external, and governmental partners to develop and implement evidence-based policies at the state and federal level.

John is a nationally recognized criminal justice advocate with experience building and leading criminal justice and healthcare organizations and campaigns. He has worked with multiple Presidential Administrations, dozens of Governors and Cabinet members, and countless businesses and nonprofits. Closely with researchers and experts, John has worked to help convert evidence-based and data-driven research into actionable policy. His efforts have helped change and shape legislation, administrative policies, and programs across the nation.

John has served in a variety of leadership roles in for-profit and nonprofit organizations, including Taking Action for Good (Executive Director), Safe Streets & Second Chances (Executive Director), Right On Crime (National Director of Reentry Initiatives) and the New Jersey Reentry Corporation (Executive Director). John was certified as a Criminal Trial Attorney by the New Jersey Supreme Court and has lived experience in the New Jersey state prison system after a successful career as a criminal defense and civil rights lawyer.

John has consulted for large corporations, including highly regulated businesses. His work has helped thousands of people with criminal records secure jobs. In 2022 he wrote and hosted Retaining Talent, a second chance hiring documentary and training. Retaining Talent was filmed across Florida and Washington, D.C., with businesses that hire people with criminal records, government officials, law enforcement, corporate and banking leaders, and at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

His leadership in the business community was recognized in 2016 when NJBIZ named him one of New Jersey’s Top 40 Under 40. He is a regular speaker on criminal justice, healthcare, social determinants of health and workforce development, and helps cities, states, and the federal government to optimize reentry systems. John has been interviewed by a wide array of outlets including C-SPAN Washington Journal, the New York Times, New Jersey Monthly, Time Magazine, and dozens of radio outlets. His commentaries have been published in the New York Post, Governing Magazine, on Fox News, and in regional media around the nation.