Norris Henderson

When he served on JLUSA’s Founding Advisory Board, Norris Henderson was a former Soros Justice Fellow. He had tremendous success in his work impacting public policy and discourse about police accountability, public defense for poor and working-class people, and reforming the notorious Orleans Parish Prison (OPP). As someone who was wrongfully incarcerated for 27 years, Norris had firsthand experiences of the racism and brutality of the criminal justice system. He used these experiences to address the needs of communities of color across Louisiana and beyond. Norris could be found speaking on behalf of underserved communities in New Orleans or acting as a general liaison to other community organizations in the city, state, and nation. Since his release in 2003, Norris has applied his 27 years of self-taught legal expertise and community organizing skills to a number of leadership positions, including Co-Director of Safe Streets/Strong Communities and Community Outreach Coordinator of the Louisiana Justice Coalition. Norris served on a number of organizations’ Board of Directors including Family & Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children, and acted as Board President of the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights.