Among many other positions, he has been associate director of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse (1971–73); secretary of the first National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse (1975–80); chair of Virginia's State Human Rights Committee responsible for protecting rights of persons with mental disabilities (1979–85), chief advisor for the ABA Criminal Justice Mental Health Standards Project (1981–88) and Chair of the Commission on Mental Health Law Reform established by the Chief Justice of Virginia (2006–11).
He has chaired numerous National Academy studies on subjects ranging from elder mistreatment to underage drinking, including the landmark report, Ending the Tobacco Problem: A Blueprint for the Nation (2007).
Most recently, he chaired major studies on juvenile justice reform (2013) and the health and well-being of young adults (2014).
Bonnie has authored many papers and books on the subjects of criminal law, bioethics and public policies relating to mental health, substance abuse, aging and public health.
[4] In 2007, Bonnie received the University of Virginia's highest honor, the Thomas Jefferson Award.