3/3/95
TOO MANY AMERICANS IN PRISON -- A New England Regional Criminal Justice
Summit
A Regional Criminal Justice Summit
Sponsored by:
The Massachusetts Justice Network Arise for Social Justice Massachusetts
Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE)
New Hampshire Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants New England
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM)
Foundation for Drug Policy Awareness/Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet)
American Friends Service Committee New England
Criminal Justice Program Criminal justice reformers across New England
face similar issues: state three-strikes legislation, the proliferation
of control units, and mandatory sentencing. Advocates, prisoners, family
members and concerned individuals must come together to stem the tide of
vengeance that is sweeping the country. The much-touted war on crime has
become a war on prisoners and a war on the poor. Only a large-scale political
mobilization of prisoner families, affected communities, grass roots groups,
and concerned individuals can keep New England from entirely abandoning
the criminal justice reforms achieved by prisoners and activists during
the 1970s.
On April 22, 1995, the Regional Summit Planning Committee of the Massachusetts
Justice Network will sponsor a one day regional criminal justice summit
entitled "Too Many Americans in Prison." The committee expects
this gathering at the American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts,
to draw 300 to 400 participants from across New England. The summit's target
audience is prisoner family members, low income people, and members of
grass roots criminal justice reform groups. There are any number of conferences
given across the country for those employed in the field of criminal justice
and those schooled in corrections policy. "Too Many Americans in Prison"
seeks to mobilize those who are often overlooked by other gatherings.
Summit Highlights and Events Schedule 8:00- 9:00 Registration (coffee and pastry served) 9:00-10:00 Opening assembly 10:00-11:00 Meetings of Organizations (FAMM, CURE etc.) 11:00-12:00 Workshop session I 12:00- 1:00 Lunch/informal networking 1:00- 2:30 Press conference/direct action 2:30- 3:30 Workshop session II 3:30- 3:45 Break 3:45- 4:45 Workshop session III 4:45- 5:15 Final plenary session
Keynote Speakers:
Michael Zinzun is a former Black Panther and a founding member of the
Coalition Against Police Abuse. He produced the award winning video "State
of Emergency: Inside the L.A.P.D." Mr. Zinzun currently works with
Community in Support of the Gang Truce. He has been active for over twenty
years in the Southern Africa Support Community.
Marc Mauer, Assistant Director of the Sentencing Project, Washington, D.C.,
has directed programs on criminal justice reform for twenty years. He is
the author of some of the most widely cited reports in the field of criminal
justice, including "Young Black Men in the Criminal Justice System"
and the "Americans Behind Bars" series.
Workshops:
Session I
I-1 A Conversation with Abu Hanif Abdal-Khallaq. An
interactive discussion with Abu-Hanif, a former Massachusetts prison superintendent
and a nationally known progressive in the field of corrections management
and policy.
I-2 The Real Drug Debate: Harm Reduction vs. Prohibition. A comparison
of U.S. drug policy with successful European models that treat drugs as
a public health problem.
I-3 Police Abuse/Excessive Force. A presentation by family members of Cristino
Hernandez who was killed in Worcester, MA, and Ben Scofield who was killed
in Springfield, MA. The session will be moderated by Alice Kidder of the
Worcester Rainbow Coalition and Nancy Lyman-Shaver of Arise for Social
Justice.
I-4 The Criminal Justice System: What Families Can Do. An hour of practical
organizing and advocacy techniques for families of prisoners led by Andrea
Strong of Indiana FAMM and Nancy Brown of New England FAMM.
Session II
Name:
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