Eddie Bocanegra

Eddie Bocanegra is a nationally recognized expert in community violence intervention, criminal justice reform, and healing-centered approaches to public safety. His career has been shaped by a deep commitment to creating intentional pathways for people who are formerly incarcerated, elevating community leadership while building public safety.  

Most recently, Eddie supported and led the Noah’s Arc Foundation through a major organizational transition. He recently also served as the CVI Action Plan Coordinating Manager and helping strengthen its strategic direction. Prior to this role, he was appointed by the Biden Administration as the Senior Advisor for Community Violence Intervention in the Office of the Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice. In this capacity, he provided counsel and leadership on the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative, a cornerstone of the Administration’s public safety strategy.

Before joining DOJ, Eddie served as the Executive Director of READI Chicago, one of the nation’s most rigorously evaluated gun violence intervention programs. Under his leadership, READI Chicago expanded its trauma-informed, cognitive behavioral therapy, and transitional employment model to reach men at highest risk of gun violence involvement. The program demonstrated measurable reductions in shootings and increased stability for participants, while building a pipeline of opportunity for individuals returning from incarceration.

Eddie’s earlier work includes directing the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago’s Youth Safety and Violence Prevention programs, where he launched trauma-informed initiatives such as Urban Warriors and Bridging the Divide, both designed to support youth exposed to violence and foster leadership development. He has also worked directly with mothers who have lost children to gun violence, helping create spaces for healing, advocacy, and community-building.

His commitment to justice reform began as a congregational organizer with Community Renewal Society, where he led FORCE (Fighting to Overcome Records and Create Equality), a coalition advancing opportunities for people with criminal records. Eddie also served as a violence interrupter with Chicago’s Ceasefire, work that was featured in the award-winning documentary The Interrupters and highlighted on CBS, NPR, and other national media outlets.

Eddie has held numerous civic leadership roles, including appointments to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Commission for a Safer Chicago and co-chairing Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Public Safety and Accountability Commission. He has served on the Illinois Juvenile Justice Leadership Council, the boards of the Juvenile Justice Initiative and The Public Welfare Foundation, and as a trustee for the Council on Criminal Justice.