Judge Doris Smith-Ribner, along with Widener Law School is hosting The Pa. Reentry Summit on September 13, 2011.
The National Congress of Black Women Delco Chapter will support Judge Ribner in this endeavor.
If you plan to attend, please register as soon as possible.
Sponsored by the Widener Law & Government Institute 3800 Vartan Way Harrisburg, PA 17110
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. Administration Building, A180
For More Information
Contact: Sandra Graeff Phone: 717-541-3965 E-mail: slgraeff@widener.edu Web: law.widener.edu
Exploring and Examining Innovative Reentry Strategies for the 2lst Century
One of the greatest challenges facing the criminal justice system is how to facilitate the successful transition of formerly incarcerated persons back into their communities and how to address barriers faced by those who have a criminal record who have not been incarcerated. A fundamental question is whether law enforcement, government agencies, and community and faith-based organizations can work effectively together to reduce and/or eliminate recidivism among offenders. The goals of effective reentry strategies are to reduce crime, enhance public safety, decrease incarceration costs, and enable reentering persons to become responsible citizens. Federal government statistics show that more than 700,000 persons are released each year from federal and state prisons. Over 66 percent of them are re-arrested in 3 years and more than 50 percent are returned to prison. Almost $70 billion is spent annually on federal, state, and local corrections, and the current Pennsylvania corrections budget is almost $2 billion.
The summit will explore and examine reentry challenges and offer some solutions. The Summit will achieve its goals through presentations by four panels of distinguished criminal justice experts.
Law Enforcement and Ex-offenders' Reentry Initiative: This panel will define the issues from the perspective of experienced law enforcement executives and from the actual experiences of ex-offenders who face barriers in the workplace and other challenges as they seek to become responsible and law-abiding citizens. The commitment of law enforcement officials and the experiences of ex-offenders will illustrate the critical nature of the reentry problem.
Collateral Consequences of a Conviction: The second panel will examine the full scope of the collateral consequences that society visits upon ex-offenders, officially and unofficially, with an emphasis on perhaps the most important area of disability, employment opportunities. The panel will cover a broad range of other restrictions that may be imposed upon ex-offenders based on laws that have existed in some cases for decades that do not advance the goals of reducing and ultimately eliminating recidivism, promoting public safety or decreasing the high costs of incarceration.
The panel will address the status of offenders who have been incarcerated and those who simply have a criminal record.
Best Reentry Practices and Policies: The third panel will highlight some of the public and private strategies proved to be successful in helping ex-offenders to overcome the challenges that they face on return to their communities after release from incarceration. Emphasis will be on effective job training and job placement programs and other innovative support strategies that are in place and what we have learned from them, and the extent to which they are models for future strategies at the local and state levels.
Remedies: The fourth panel will focus upon reentry strategies and major and cutting-edge remedies that have been implemented or planned for implementation at the federal and state levels of government to combat recidivism, to promote public safety and to reduce the enormous costs of incarceration. The panel will cover subjects ranging from new federal reentry policies and laws, reforms at the state corrections level, reentry specialty courts and judicial involvement in reentry and 2011 criminal justice reform legislation proposed for Pennsylvania.
Agenda
12:30 p.m.Registration
1:00 p.m. Welcome
Linda L. Ammons, Dean and Associate Provost, Widener University School of Law
John L. Gedid, Director, Law and Government Institute, Widener University School of Law
1:05 p.m. Introduction
Doris A. Smith-Ribner, Judge Emeritus Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court- Organizer
1:10 p.m.
Panel 1: Law Enforcement and Ex-offenders’ Reentry Initiative
Moderator: Associate Professor Wesley Oliver, Widener University School of Law
Panelists: Joseph A. McMillan, Past National President of Noble (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives); RaShall M. Brackney, Commander, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police; Malik Aziz, Founder/President of National Exhoodus Council
2:05 p.m. Break
2:15 p.m. Panel 2: Collateral Consequences of a Conviction
Moderator, Associate Professor Jill Family, Widener University School of Law
Panelists: Christopher Gowen, Senior Staff Attorney, American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section; Homer C. Floyd, Former Executive Director, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission; Sharon Dietrich, Managing Attorney, Philadelphia Community Legal Services
3:15 p.m. Panel 3: Best Reentry Practices and Policies
Moderator, Associate Professor Michael Dimino, Widener University School of Law
Panelists: Keri Salerno, Director, Employer Engagement, Prisoner Reintegration Services, Philadelphia; Juanita Grant, Founder, Christian Recovery Aftercare Ministry, Inc. (prison ministry); Eve Biskind Klothen, Assistant Dean, Pro Bono & Public Interest Programs, Rutgers Law School; Mark Boyd, President & CEO of Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey & Pennsylvania
4:05 p.m. Break
4:15 p.m. Panel 4: Remedies
Moderator, Harry Witte, Adjunct Professor, Widener University School of Law
Panelists: Amy L. Solomon, Senior Advisor to Assistant Attorney General, OJP, U.S. DOJ; John Wetzel, Pennsylvania Secretary of Corrections; Ronald G. Waters, PA House of Representatives/Chair Legislative Black Caucus; Stewart J. Greenleaf, PA Senate/Chair Judiciary Committee
5:15 p.m.Pennsylvania Judiciary Initiatives
Zygmont Pines, Court Administrator of Pennsylvania
5:30 p.m. Closing Commentary
6:00 p.m.Reception—Administration Building
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