Delaware
Delaware Day of Action with REFORM Alliance Highlights Reentry Supports, System Change – State of Delaware News
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.
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
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.
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
Claiming lottery in Delaware
18 states have laws that allow national lottery prize jackpot winners to remain anonymous, but is Delaware among them?
The Delaware Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Dec. 16 drawing
20-24-46-59-65, Mega Ball: 07
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Play 3 numbers from Dec. 16 drawing
Day: 7-1-2
Night: 0-1-8
Check Play 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Play 4 numbers from Dec. 16 drawing
Day: 5-5-8-3
Night: 4-2-6-8
Check Play 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Multi-Win Lotto numbers from Dec. 16 drawing
10-21-22-24-26-33
Check Multi-Win Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 16 drawing
03-04-19-24-39, Lucky Ball: 11
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Play 5 numbers from Dec. 16 drawing
Day: 6-6-3-8-7
Night: 8-7-0-5-4
Check Play 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
- Sign the Ticket: Establish legal ownership by signing the back of your ticket with an ink pen.
- Prizes up to $599: Claim at any Delaware Lottery Retailer, in person at the Delaware Lottery Office, or mail your signed ticket and claim form; print your name/address on the ticket’s back and keep a copy/photo for records. By mail, send original tickets and documentation to: Delaware Lottery, 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102, Dover, DE 19904.
- Prizes up to $2,500: Claim in person at Delaware Lottery Retailer Claim Centers throughout Kent, Sussex and New Castle Counties.
- Prizes of $5,001 or more: Claim in person at the Delaware Lottery Office (business days 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with a photo ID and Social Security card.
- For all prize claims, directions to the Delaware Lottery Office are available online or via mapquest.com for a map.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Delaware Lottery.
Can I claim a jackpot prize anonymously in Delaware?
Fortunately for First State residents, the Delaware Lottery allows winners remain anonymous. Unlike many other states that require a prize be over a certain jackpot, Delawareans can remain anonymous no matter how much, or how little, they win.
How long do I have to claim my prize in Delaware?
Tickets are valid for up to one year past the drawing date for drawing game prizes or within one year of the announced end of sales for Instant Games, according to delottery.com.
When are the Delaware Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Play 3, 4: Daily at 1:58 p.m. and 7:57 p.m., except Sunday afternoon.
- Multi-Win Lotto: 7:57 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: Daily at 10:38 p.m.
- Lotto America: 11:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Delaware Online digital operations manager. You can send feedback using this form.
Delaware
Trump will go to Delaware for the dignified transfer of the 2 National Guard members killed in Syria
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is traveling to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday for a dignified transfer for the two Iowa National Guard members killed in an attack in the Syrian desert that is testing the rapprochement between Washington and Damascus.
The two guardsmen killed in the attack on Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. Both were members of the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment. A U.S. civilian working as an interpreter was also killed.
The ritual at Dover Air Force Base honors U.S. service members killed in action and is one of the most solemn duties undertaken by the commander in chief.
During the process, transfer cases draped with the American flag holding the remains of fallen soldiers are carried from the military aircraft that carried them to Dover to an awaiting vehicle to transport them to the mortuary facility at the base. There, the fallen service members are prepared for their final resting place.
Trump, a Republican, said during his first term that witnessing the dignified transfer of service members’ remains is “the toughest thing I have to do” as president.
Remembered as ‘the best of Iowa’
The Iowa National Guard is remembering the two men as heroes. Howard’s stepfather, Jeffrey Bunn, said Howard “loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out,” noting that he had wanted to be a soldier since he was a young boy.
In a post on the Meskwaki Nation Police Department’s Facebook page, Bunn – who is chief of the Tama, Iowa, department – called Howard a loving husband and an “amazing man of faith” and said Howard’s brother, a staff sergeant in the Iowa National Guard, would escort “Nate” back to Iowa.
Torres-Tovar was remembered as a “very positive” person who was family oriented and someone who always put others first, according to fellow guardsmen who were deployed with Torres-Tovar and issued a statement to the local TV broadcast station WOI.
“They were dedicated professionals and cherished members of our Guard family who represented the best of Iowa,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn, adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard.
Trump stands by Syrian leader al-Sharaa
On Saturday, Trump told reporters that he was mourning the deaths and vowed retaliation.
Trump said Monday that he remained confident in the leadership of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the onetime leader of an Islamic insurgent group who led the ouster of former President Bashar Assad, whose family had an iron grip on Syrian rule for decades.
The U.S. president welcomed al-Sharaa to Washington last month for a historic visit to the White House and formally welcomed Syria as a member of the U.S.-led coalition to fight the Islamic State group. Hundreds of U.S. troops are deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.
“This had nothing to do with him,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. “This had to do with ISIS.”
Three other members of the Iowa National Guard were injured in the attack. As of Monday, two were in stable condition and the other in good condition. The Pentagon has not identified them.
Trump traveled to Dover several times during his first term to honor the fallen, including for a U.S. Navy SEAL killed during a raid in Yemen, for two Army officers whose helicopter crashed in Afghanistan and for two Army soldiers killed in Afghanistan when a person dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire.
The fiscal year 2027 forecast remained relatively flat from the October meeting. But some expenses declined, including salaries for teachers. Brian Maxwell, state director of Management and Budget, said teacher salary expenses were down because student enrollment has dropped. He said federal immigration policy could be impacting the state’s Multilingual Learners.
“Obviously, there have been a number of students that may not be showing up to class just because of the enforcement of [Immigration and Customs Enforcement],” he said. “So some of the families may be scared to actually send their kids to school.”
Maxwell said overall enrollment is down, but the number of students needing special education services is up. The next student count is in February.
DEFAC members also discussed the revised Healthcare Spending benchmark. In September, the subcommittee devised a methodology that only used healthcare inflation, resulting in a 7.13% for 2026.
“We all gathered in October and there was a fair amount of concern with that outcome,” said Christen Linke Young, director of Health and Social Services. “So the subcommittee reconvened earlier this month to consider a new approach.”
After adopting the methodology using expected national inflation data and a three-year measure of health care cost growth, the benchmark now sits at 4.9%. But Young said there would be no penalty for hospitals exceeding the guideline.
Gov. Meyer and the state’s largest nongovernmental employer, ChristianaCare Health System, reached an agreement earlier this year in a lawsuit the regional hospital system filed last year. The Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board was created by lawmakers in June 2024 to try to rein in hospital spending. But the agreement, which requires new legislation and the governor’s signature, would strip the board of its authority to approve and modify hospital budgets.
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