• National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement

    National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement

  • NACOLE Flame Award

    Achievement in Oversight Award

    Contribution to Oversight Award

     

    2026 NOMINATION PROCESS

     

     Deadline for Nominations:

    August 15, 2026, 5:00 pm PT

     

    NACOLE will once again be relying on nominations from the NACOLE membership for two categories of awards:

    The NACOLE Flame Award, recognizing significant, long-term contributions to the field of law enforcement, jail, and prison oversight by an individual, organization, or agency.

    The NACOLE Achievement in Oversight / Contribution to Oversight Award, recognizing a specific significant accomplishment or contribution to civilian oversight by an individual, organization, or agency.

    As we look forward to the 31st Annual NACOLE Conference in Minneapolis, MN, we are pleased to accept award nominations.

    Who can submit a nomination? NACOLE members, including employees of agencies with a NACOLE Organizational Membership

    What happens after a nomination is submitted? The Awards Sub-committee of NACOLE’s Training, Education, and Standards Committee will review all nominations and make recommendations to the NACOLE Board of Directors. The Board will review the nominations and recommendations and then make final decisions regarding award recipients.

    What are the criteria for each award? Please click the respective link above for each award for details or click the respective award on the NACOLE website. Please ensure that your nomination clearly addresses specific criteria. The Awards Sub-committee assesses a nominee's qualifications primarily on the information submitted by the nominator. Do not assume the sub-committee will be familiar with your nominee and/or their qualifications. Please provide clear and specific information that links to respective criteria.

    Can one nomination be for two or more people rather than an individual? Yes. If you submit a nomination for multiple individuals to share an award, please provide sufficient information for each person to be evaluated individually on respective criteria. Each person will be evaluated individually, and all individuals must be deemed deserving in order for a joint nomination to succeed.

    The deadline to submit applications is August 15, 2026, 5:00 pm PT. Only timely and complete nominations will be considered.

    Word limitations have been imposed in the electronic form below. In addition, the form allows for up to three supporting materials and/or statements from individuals supporting the nomination to be uploaded. The supporting materials should provide specific, factual insight into the reasons the person is being nominated. Please avoid generalities. For instance, if nominating a legislator for legislation, attaching the legislation would be appropriate and helpful. If nominating a journalist for an article, attaching the article would be appropriate.

    1. What is the approximate time period of the nominee’s achievement/contribution?
    2. What geographic area(s) (neighborhood, community, city, state, country, etc.) and/or facility (specific jail or prison, etc.) did the nominee’s contribution/achievement impact?
    3. If the nominee’s work involved a civilian oversight entity, identify the entity and the nominee’s role on or in relation to the entity.
    4. Please select one or more criteria to address for this nomination. Indicate which of the six criteria you will address and clearly illustrate how the nominee meets them.

     

  • Submitter Contact Information:

  •  -
  • Are you a NACOLE Member?*
  • 0/50
  • 0/100
  • Was the nominee's work, achievement, or contribution part of a campaign, group, or collaborative effort?
  • 0/500

  • Flame Award Nomination

    Those submitting nominations for the Flame Award must address one or more of the criteria below which will be used as the basis for evaluation. Nominators should clearly indicate which criteria they are addressing and provide sufficient information - including links to relevant webpages and documents - to evaluate the nominee.

    • Impact on the civilian oversight community
    • Sphere of influence
    • Advocacy for greater transparency
    • Community engagement and outreach
    • Innovation to civilian oversight practices
    • Commitment to NACOLE’s mission, vision, and values

    The NACOLE Flame Award recognizes long-term contributions. If you know someone who has made specific, project-based, or significant short-term contributions, please consider nominating them for one of our other award categories.

  • Please select one or more of the following criteria that will be addressed in this nomination.*
  • 0/1000

  • Achievement in Oversight Award 

    The NACOLE Achievement in Oversight Award recognizes a specific achievement that rises above what the individual or organization would normally accomplish in the performance of their duties and responsibilities. The achievement could involve innovation, persistence, creativity and courage. The achievement should also demonstrate a commitment to effective oversight of law enforcement, jails, or prisons and to NACOLE’s mission, vision, and values.

    This can be a specific accomplishment by an individual (such as an oversight agency employee, a member of an oversight board or commission, an elected official, a journalist or a researcher), by an organization, an oversight agency or body, or an organization not directly affiliated with an oversight agency.
    The accomplishment can be for a single event or for multiple events usually (but not necessarily) within the past year.


    Achievement Nomination Criteria:

    • Effort involved in the achievement. Examples include time and energy expended; obstacles or opposition encountered; demonstrated courage and conviction; personal or professional sacrifices.
    • Skill(s) demonstrated in working towards the achievement. Examples include civilian oversight skills such as conducting an investigation, audit, or review and changing or implementing a policy or procedure.
    • Innovation & Creativity. Examples include innovation or creativity in civilian oversight practices such as conducting an investigation, audit, or review; changing or implementing a policy or procedure; and working to effect legislation to establish, strengthen, or defend oversight.
    • Impact on or support of the civilian oversight community. Examples include contributing or supporting changes in a law enforcement agency, jail, or custodial facility; working to create, advance, strengthen or defend oversight in a community; advocating for or advancing legislation; having a significant impact on or significant support for NACOLE and/or civilian oversight.
    • Commitment to transparency and community engagement. Examples include reporting or research on law enforcement, jails, or prisons; advocating for transparency in law enforcement, jails, prisons, and civilian oversight; and working to advance open and constructive dialogue with stakeholders.
    • Commitment to NACOLE’s mission, vision, & values (including NACOLE’s Code of Ethics).

    Nominations must address at least one of the criteria above, which will be used as the basis for evaluation. Nominations should clearly indicate which criteria they are addressing and provide sufficient information - including links to relevant webpages and documents - to evaluate the nominee. Please note that the achievement need not involve more than one criteria. 

    The nomination should be a factual description of the nominee’s specific achievement and the criteria it involved, providing as much relevant detail as possible. Supporting materials (such as support letters, reports, news articles, legal documents, meeting minutes or legislative materials) should provide factual evidence documenting the action or actions that form the basis for the nomination. If the nominee was part of a group or organization responsible for the achievement, the nomination must specify why the nominee is more deserving of the award than others who participated in this project. Overall, you will help the nomination review committee accurately assess nominees by providing specific, factual information related to the criteria you have identified as qualifying your nominee for an award.


    If you are submitting statements from individuals in support of the nomination, they should be specific and factual and should address the criteria you have identified as the basis for the award. General complimentary descriptions of the nominee alone are not sufficient to demonstrate qualification under criteria for an award.

  • Please select one or more of the following criteria that will be addressed in your nomination narrative:*
  • 0/1000

  • Contribution to Oversight Award 

    The NACOLE Contribution to Oversight Award recognizes multiple actions or accomplishments by an individual, an organization, or an agency that played a significant role in supporting, advancing or defending a specific civilian oversight entity, oversight in a state of region, or oversight more broadly. The contribution could be made by someone directly involved with oversight, or by an individual or organization working outside of oversight. Nominees could include oversight agency leaders or practitioners, members of boards or commissions, community leaders,  community groups, advocacy organizations, journalists or news outlets, researchers or programs or projects whose work made a significant contribution to oversight that is more than transitory.


    Contribution Nomination Criteria:

    • Effort involved in the contribution. Examples include time and energy expended; obstacles or opposition encountered; demonstrated courage and conviction; personal or professional sacrifices.
    • Innovation & Creativity. Examples include innovation or creativity in civilian oversight practices.
    • Impact on or support of the civilian oversight community. Examples include contributing or supporting changes in a law enforcement agency, jail, or custodial facility; advocating for or advancing legislation; helping create, advance, strengthen or defend oversight in a community; having a significant impact on or significant support for NACOLE and/or civilian oversight.  The contribution could be within a specific locality or could have an impact on a broader geographic area.
    • Commitment to transparency and community engagement. Examples include researching or reporting on law enforcement, jails, or prisons; advocating for transparency in law enforcement, jails, prisons, and civilian oversight; and working to advance open and constructive dialogue with stakeholders.
    • Commitment to NACOLE’s mission, vision, & values (including NACOLE’s Code of Ethics).

    Nominations must address at least one of the criteria above which will be used as the basis for evaluation. Nominations should clearly indicate which criteria they are addressing and provide sufficient information - including links to relevant webpages and documents - to evaluate the nominee. Please note that the contribution need not involve more than one criteria. 

    The nomination should be a factual description of the nominee’s specific contribution(s) and the criteria it/they involved, providing as much relevant detail as possible. Supporting materials (such as support letters, reports, news articles, legal documents, meeting minutes or legislative materials) should provide factual evidence documenting the action or actions that form the basis for the nomination. If the nominee was part of a group or organization responsible for the contribution(s), the nomination must specify why the nominee is more deserving of the award than others who participated. Overall, you will help the nomination review committee accurately assess nominees by providing specific, factual information related to the criteria you have identified as qualifying your nominee for an award.


    If you are submitting statements from individuals in support of the nomination, they should be specific and factual and should address the criteria you have identified as the basis for the award. General complimentary descriptions of the nominee alone are not sufficient to demonstrate qualification under criteria for an award.

  • Please select one or more of the following criteria that will be addressed in your nomination narrative:*
  • 0/1000
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  • Once you have completed this form, please submit it to NACOLE by clicking the button below. Submitters will receive confirmation that their proposal has been received within 72 hours. If you have any questions or do not receive a confirmation, please contact Mary Pettigrew at info@nacole.org.

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