Umd English Graduate Appointed To Key White House Post

UMD alum Reginald Dwayne Betts was appointed member of the White House Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

UMD alum Reginald Dwayne Betts was appointed member of the White House Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Congratulations to Reginald Dwayne Betts ‘11! President Obama announced on Thursday, April 26 that he will appoint Betts as a member of the White House Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. He was one of three who received
the honor.

Reginald Dwayne Betts is an award-winning writer and poet. His memoir, “A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison,” was the recipient of the 2010 NAACP Image Award for non-fiction.

In 2010, he was awarded a Soros Justice Fellowship to complete “The Circumference of a Prison,” a work of nonfiction exploring the criminal justice system. In addition, Betts is the author of a collection of poetry, “Shahid Reads His Own Palm.”

In addition to his writing, Mr. Betts is involved in a number of nonprofit organizations, including the Campaign for Youth Justice for which he serves as a national spokesperson. He received a B.A. from the
University of Maryland and was recently awarded a Radcliffe Fellowship to Harvard University's Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Studies.

President Obama said of the new appointees, “These dedicated and accomplished individuals will be valued additions to my administration as we tackle the important challenges facing America. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”