CRAIG DEROCHE
Senior Vice President, Advocacy and Public Policy
Craig DeRoche serves as senior vice president for advocacy and public policy at Prison Fellowship, the nation’s largest outreach to prisoners, former prisoners, and their families. He leads the organization’s efforts to advance restorative criminal justice reform at the state and federal levels. A recognized subject-matter expert, he has testified before Congress and confers with lawmakers to help them design legislation that prioritizes accountability, community participation, and second chances.
DeRoche made front-page news when, at 34, he became the speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives. In 2010, he made national headlines again for two alcohol-related arrests, revealing a long-concealed addiction to alcohol. It was only after his arrests, the ensuing rehab, and a renewed focus on his Christian faith that he entered lasting recovery. He relates the story in Highly Functional, his 2015 memoir.
Since joining Prison Fellowship, DeRoche has brought his political acumen and personal experiences to the pursuit of restorative criminal justice. He pens op-eds for publications including The New York Times, The Washington Times, and The Christian Post. He serves on the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections, a bipartisan body charged with making recommendations to Congress and the president about how to improve the federal corrections system. He is also a signatory to Right on Crime’s Statement of Principles on conservative criminal justice reform. Right on Crime is a project of the Texas Public Policy Foundation in cooperation with Prison Fellowship and the American Conservative Union Foundation.
HEATHER RICE-MINUS
Vice President of Government Affairs
Heather Rice-Minus serves as vice president of government affairs at Prison Fellowship, the nation's largest Christian nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families. She is a powerful, knowledgeable voice articulating the case for restorative criminal justice solutions.
As leader of Prison Fellowship's policy staff, Rice-Minus directs lobbying, research, and legislative campaigns on pivotal criminal justice issues at the state and federal levels. She also spearheads its efforts to build coalitions with advocacy groups, think tanks, faith-based organizations, and other key stakeholders in Washington, D.C.
Rice-Minus has contributed to stories about criminal justice reform in outlets including Slate, CBN News, PBS' Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, and WORLD magazine. She is the co-author of Prison Fellowship’s Bible study curriculum, “Outrageous Justice.” A valued shaper of the criminal justice reform debate because of her wide-ranging policy expertise, Rice-Minus is also personally vested in justice reform as someone who has both been a victim of crime and walked alongside a family member during his incarceration.
A native of Virginia, Rice-Minus resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband and daughter. Prior to her tenure at Prison Fellowship, she managed advocacy efforts on behalf of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture. She is a graduate of George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School and Colorado State University. She is a member of the Virginia State Bar.