WILMINGTON, Del. — Community and state leaders highlighted the need for robust reentry supports to help returning citizens thrive during the first Delaware Day of Action, a special convening for criminal justice advocates and policymakers.   

Hosted by Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, Senator Darius Brown and Representative Melissa Minor-Brown in partnership with REFORM Alliance, the Delaware Day of Action brought together organizations, community leaders, and advocates to discuss systemic change efforts in the First State and how to turn hope into action. Wallace “Wallo267” Peeples, REFORM’s Chief Marketing Officer, was a featured guest, sharing his personal story of redemption and how he is making a difference one connection at a time. Wallo grew up in Philadelphia where he cycled in and out of the juvenile justice system before being sentenced to serve 20 years in prison. Upon his release, he built a social media platform that reaches tens of millions of people with inspiration, humor, and hard-earned lessons that inspire people across the world to step into their greatness and discover their purpose. 

“For our justice-impacted Delawareans, the cards are often stacked against them. I can say anecdotally that 80% of the people who come before me at the Board of Pardons have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences. Without the proper wraparound services, community support, and government policies in place, coming home can be a one-way trip back to court or worse,” said Lt. Governor Hall-Long, chair of the Board of Pardons. In that role, she has worked to streamline the commutation and pardons process and advocate for trauma-informed approaches in the justice system.   

“That’s why we need convenings like the Delaware Day of Action. Today, we heard from Delawareans with lived experience, community leaders, experts in our legal system and corrections and public safety sector. These experiences matter and make our state stronger. I want to thank Senator Brown, House Majority Leader Minor-Brown, Rep. Cooke, the Behavioral Health Consortium, and Wallo267 and the REFORM Alliance for working toward a justice system that is fair and just for all regardless of Zip code, background, and experience.”   

The call-to-action for the day was Get Engaged. Panel discussions highlighted Delaware’s expungement process and legislative progress, comprehensive reentry supports, efforts to address recidivism, and culturally proficient interventions like H.E.A.T (Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy).    

“When you get brilliant minds from all walks of life in the same room—formerly incarcerated individuals, law enforcement professionals, lawmakers, and advocates—that’s when the most amazing solutions can happen. You can’t teach what you don’t know; you can’t lead where you don’t go. At REFORM, we’ve seen firsthand that ensuring people with lived experience have not just a seat at the table but lead the charge alongside those in power to make change is how transformation takes shape. When you really listen to communities and build partnerships across diverse perspectives, that’s the true power of today’s Day of Action,” said Wallace “Wallo267” Peeples, Chief Marketing Officer, REFORM Alliance.  

Added Erin Haney, Deputy Chief Advocacy Officer, REFORM Alliance:  

“There is incredible momentum for the inspiring justice reform already building here in Delaware. Not only do we have the opportunity to learn about and highlight hard-won victories that are touching thousands of lives – but we are charting a course for further change. A true ‘reimagining’ of the justice system that safely reduces incarceration and supervision, invests in communities over prisons, and replaces cycles of crime and recidivism with hope and opportunity. We’re grateful to the many leaders standing up for meaningful justice reform in Delaware, and especially Lt. Governor Hall-Long and her team, Senator Darius Brown, and Representative Melissa Minor-Brown for their partnership and collaboration.”  

Through the leadership of Senator Brown and Rep. Minor-Brown, during the past few years Delaware has led on restorative justice legislation that has reformed the expungement process, banned deceptive interrogation techniques, and addressed barriers to employment, among other initiatives.    

“Our criminal justice system needs work. No one can deny that. Over the past few years, we have passed numerous bills to try to create a more just system here in Delaware, but we can’t do it alone,” said House Majority Leader Melissa Minor-Brown. “The Delaware Day of Action offered myself and my colleagues in the General Assembly the opportunity to hear from so many different voices on the topic of restorative justice. I am certain this will prove to be invaluable in our work to make sure our criminal justice system doesn’t do more harm than good.”   

Senator Brown, a co-host of the Day of Action event, has been described by the Wilmington News Journal as a champion of criminal justice reform and racial equity. The founding chair of the Delaware Legislative Black Caucus, Senator Brown passed legislation that is now helping to remove barriers to education, employment and housing for more than 290,000 Delawareans. He also served as a prime sponsor of bills that enacted the first major reforms to Delaware’s Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights in a generation, established new training standards for Delaware law enforcement officers, mandated the use of body-worn cameras, outlawed choke holds, provided legal protections for hair styles historically associated with race, and added an equal rights amendment to the Delaware Constitution, among many other initiatives.   

“The REFORM Alliance has been a strong partner in my work to deliver restorative justice and economic opportunities to Delawareans who have earned a second chance,” Senator Darius Brown said.   

“That support continued with today’s Day of Action event, which brought together community members, advocacy organizations and elected officials to discuss how we can work together to break down barriers to second chances and get people leaving prison the support they need to turn their lives around,” he said. “I am grateful to REFORM Alliance, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall Long and House Majority Leader Melissa Minor-Brown for joining me for this latest step forward in our work to improve public systems and help eliminate disparate impacts felt by Black and Brown Delawareans who are served by those systems.”   

ABOUT REFORM Alliance   

REFORM is committed to transforming probation and parole throughout the United States by changing laws, systems, and culture.  The organization is working to replace America’s criminal justice system with a restorative approach that is fair, accountable, and invested in rehabilitation. Our goal is for people to reenter society with dignity, create meaningful pathways to work, and equip them with the tools to succeed, all while making families and communities safer and stronger.      

The nonprofit organization was founded in the wake of the #FreeMeek movement.  REFORM Board Members include award-winning recording artist Meek Mill; Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin; Arnold Ventures co-founder Laura Arnold; entrepreneur and business mogul Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter; Kraft Group CEO and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; Galaxy Digital CEO and founder Michael E. Novogratz; Vista Equity Partners founder, chairman, CEO Robert F. Smith; Brooklyn Nets co-owner and philanthropic investor Clara Wu Tsai.  Veteran criminal justice advocate Robert Rooks leads the organization as CEO.   

To date, REFORM has worked to pass 18 bipartisan bills in 11 states, which have created new pathways for more than 800,000 people to exit the system.    

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Delaware 250 is pleased to announce the recipients of its inaugural cycle of grants to support planning and programming for the upcoming United States Semiquincentennial Anniversary in 2026.  This anniversary recognizes 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A special project of the Delaware Heritage Commission and the Delaware Public Archives, Delaware 250 seeks to reflect on and celebrate the plurality of histories within both Delaware and the nation as we approach the 250^th anniversary of America’s independence.

“The 250^th anniversary of our country’s independence is a significant milestone for both our state and our nation, and an opportunity to enrich our understanding of Delaware’s past, present, and future,” said Dick Carter, chair of the Delaware Heritage Commission. “Since its formation ahead of our nation’s 1976 Bicentennial, the Delaware Heritage Commission has served as a steward of Delaware’s rich history; we look forward to continuing that work as we approach this important anniversary.”

The Delaware 250 grants are intended to support museums, libraries, non-profit organizations, historic sites, heritage groups, and other such groups in developing programs or other public-facing ventures that help to commemorate the 250^th anniversary for Delawareans and Delaware’s visitors. Recipients will use the funds to plan for the 250^th in ways that serve and reflect their communities and organizations.

“Delaware 250 is committed to representing the many stories across this state,” said Margaret Hughes, coordinator for Delaware 250. “We are inspired by the revolutionary ideals that formed this country and to which we continue to aspire. Each in their own way, the Spring 2024 grant recipients contribute to a deeper understanding of our past.”

Recipients of the Spring 2024 Delaware 250 grants are:

• Delaware Art Museum ($25,000), for its Art and Democracy Project, which facilitates conversations across the State on how Delaware’s arts and cultural organizations can create content that reflects Delawareans’ shared history and imagines their collective future.
• The Newark Partnership ($20,000), to support the Knowing Newark series, a variety of community events showcasing Newark’s history and heritage.
• Lewes Historical Society ($15,000), to support the Society’s exhibition From Revolution to Republic: The Neill Household (1792-1803). This exhibition will curate the society’s Burton Ingram House (c. 1785) to reflect the home of Revolutionary War veteran Colonel Henry Neill, his wife Mary, and the seven enslaved people that lived and worked in this space.
• Wisdom 2 Witness ($14,976), to develop an oral history project connecting young people to community elders via stories of Delaware’s past, present, and hoped-for future.
• Greater Harrington Historical Society ($14,000), to increase access to collections for researchers and the public ahead of the Semiquincentennial through space renovation, improved archival storage, and dedicated collections management.
• Delaware Historical Society ($12,000), to create a series of “book talks” focusing on inclusive and relevant histories of the Revolutionary era through the theme “We the People.”
• Delaware Institute for Arts in Education ($10,000), to develop a series of in-school artist residencies culminating in a public dance performance and scholar’s talk. The project aims to foster deeper understanding of the American Civil Rights era and the impact of Martin Luther King’s assassination on the city of Wilmington, ideas that connect with the country’s long struggle to secure the promises of the Revolution.
• NSDAR/Lafayette Bicentennial ($7,840), to support programming for the October 2024 bicentennial commemoration of Major General Lafayette’s farewell tour. Fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, French hero of the American Revolution Lafayette returned as the “Guest of the Nation” to visit the country he helped to form.
• Milford Museum ($5,000), to produce the documentary film The Colored Balcony, centering on the history of the then-segregated Schines Theater in downtown Milford.

The grants will support outreach and engagement across the state. “The Greater Harrington Historical Society was a grateful recipient of a grant from Delaware 250,” said Doug Poore, curator. “The funds from this grant award will be used to expand our archive room, which will allow visitors and researchers greater access to our holdings, specifically genealogical documents dating back to the 1700s.”

Molly Giordano, Executive Director of the Delaware Art Museum, said, “DelArt is thrilled to receive this funding from Delaware 250 to support our 2026 exhibition and research project that will shine a light on the connection between art and democracy. As Delaware’s largest art museum, we continue to play a leading role in using art to consider our collective past and invest in our shared artistic future.”

Applications for the next round of Delaware 250 grants will open in early June, with a July 15 application deadline. For more information, contact Margaret Hughes at (302) 744-5067 or Margaret.Hughes@delaware.gov. For all press inquiries about Delaware 250, please contact Katie Pierce at (302) 744-5076 or Catherine.Pierce@delaware.gov.

About Delaware Heritage Commission

Created in 1972 as the Delaware American Revolution Bicentennial Commission to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution in 1776, the Delaware Heritage Commission became one of the principal agencies for the celebration of Delaware history. The celebration of the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution in 1987, the bicentennial of the Bill of Rights, the 500th anniversary of Columbus “Finding the Americas,” the 75th anniversary of the American Revolution Battle of Cooch’s Bridge, were led by the Heritage Commission. Our mission is to celebrate the history and heritage of Delaware. Since 1993, the Commission has sponsored Delaware Book Fair and Authors Day. From the publications of books about Delaware history to the institution of two summer history camp programs for boys and girls, we engage in everything to accomplish our goals. The Commission offers Challenge Grants and McKinstry Awards for people studying First State history. The Heritage Commission works with sister agencies within the Delaware Department of State (museums, archives, veterans, arts) to fulfill that mission.

About Delaware Public Archives

As the repository for records of Delaware state and local governments, the Delaware Public Archives contains millions of documents and other materials that can help with researching one’s genealogical roots and conduct historical research. Among these records are census materials, vital statistics including birth, death, and marriage records; tax assessments, probate/estate records, land deeds, and military records.

The Delaware Public Archives also preserves a large amount of genealogically related materials that were of private origin. These records include family histories, bible records, church records, manuscript genealogies, and newspapers.

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