When: Monday, August 28, 2017, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: The Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC
What:
With one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, the U.S. prison system is in desperate need of reform. Issues of overcrowding, the school-to-prison pipeline, and racial disparity in sentencing dominate headlines and point to serious underlying problems with American criminal justice. Though these institutional flaws are becoming widely recognized, and legislators across ideological lines are attempting to enact reforms many barriers to change remain.
On August 28, 2017, Brookings will convene a forum focused on the need for criminal justice reform and explore possible alternatives to the existing system. In light of the current political climate and policies adopted by the Department of Justice, questions around sentencing guidelines and recidivism reduction are more urgent than ever. Are the financial burdens of large prison populations worth the cost? How can alternative sentences—from community service to house arrest—be used to deal with nonviolent offenders in a fair and equitable way?
The forum will begin with a gubernatorial perspective on reform measures, which will be followed by a panel discussion. After the session, panelists will take questions from the audience.
After the session, panelists will take audience questions. You can follow the conversation on Twitter using #CJreform.
This event has reached capacity and registration is now closed.