The Good, the Bad, and the Path Forward: Examining the Intersection of Criminal Justice Reform and the Use of Technology in Changing the Culture of Community Supervision

SESSION INFO

Tuesday, August 24, 2021
1:30PM - 3:00PM
Session Type: Workshop

The use of technology in community supervision continues to grow, and became a necessary tool for many agencies during the pandemic. Client features including appointment reminders and easier access to supervision officers, combined with the ability for probation and parole officers to automate everyday tasks, have the ability to positively impact the criminal legal system by increasing success for clients, reducing technical violations, and lessening workloads for officers. But while there are multiple advantages to utilizing technology, many have also pointed to the negative impact technology can have on individuals involved in the system. Critics claim some features create digital prisoners by subjecting clients to unnecessary constraints such as geolocation. This workshop will address the pros and cons of cell phone technology with an emphasis on utilizing positive technology to help change the culture of community supervision. Our panelists will include those working in the system, those impacted by the system, and a researcher.

SESSION PRESENTERS

Comm. Edward J Dolan
Commissioner, MA Probation Service/MA Trial Court/Office of Commissioner of Probation

Dr. April Pattavina
Professor, School of Criminology and Justice Studies, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Topeka Sam
Executive Director, The Ladies of Hope Ministries


Topeka K. Sam is the Founder and Executive Director of The Ladies of Hope Ministries – The LOHM, co-founder of HOPE HOUSE NYC, President of TKS Ventures LLC, and Faces & Voices Inc. She serves on the board of directors for Grassroots Leadership, Coalition for Public Safety and The Marshall Project. Since her release from federal prison on May 5th, 2015, Topeka has achieved the following: 2015 Beyond the Bars Fellowand a 2016 Justice-In-Education Scholar both from Columbia University, 2017 Soros Justice Advocacy Fellow, 2018 Unlocked Futures Inaugural Cohort Member, 2018 Opportunity Agenda Communications Institute Fellow, Director of #Dignity Campaign for #cut50 where she led the bi-partisian national effort to pass 20 pieces of legislation restoring the Dignity for Incarcerated Women, Senior Advisor of New Yorkers United for Justice, Host of “The Topeka K. Sam Show”on SiriusXM UrbanView Channel 126 Sundays 9 am EDT, and is now developing scripted and unscripted series as an Executive Producer for TV & Film, inspired by her fight to change the many problems that plague female incarceration with 44 Blue Productions.Topeka has been featured in Vogue, Essence, SalonTV, Vice, New York Times, TheCut, Rolling Stone and Variety Magazine. She has shared her expertise on The Tamron Hall Show, CNN, MSNBC and The Today Show. Additionally, has been featured in Glamour Magazine and Black Enterprise for being “The Black Woman behind the video that led to the Trump Clemency of Alice Johnson.” She has spoken at the 2018 United States of the Woman Conference, 2018 Women in the World Conference, 2018 White House Prison Reform Summit, is a TedxMidAtlantic Superheros Presenter and has received many awards for her contributions transforming the lives of women and girls impacted by the criminal legal system.She has worked and continues to work selflessly and relentlessly in her fight for the dignity, decriminalization, and decarceration of women and girls. All Social Media Handles: @TopekaKSam


Mr. Jacob Sills
CEO, Uptrust