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Meaningful Policy Reform in the Justice System – Part III
SESSION INFO
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
1:30PM - 3:00PM
Session Type: Workshop
In the wake of increased conversations and a move to have an active voice to advocate for change in community supervision and corrections, the importance of seeking administrative, legislative, policy, and budgetary changes that align with the mission and direction of our industry cannot be overstated. Local, state, and federal laws, statutes, ordinances, and policies must be encouraged to help effect meaningful changes to promote and support better outcomes for people on pretrial, probation, and parole supervision. This session will bring attention to increasing legislative and legal reforms to the criminal justice system. Join the National Policy Director of REFORM Alliance who will discuss meaningful legislative and legal changes to community supervision systems and reentry services. Reforms have been focused on areas including but not limited to parole eligibility, parole and probation caps, supervision caseload restrictions, technical violations, anti-recidivism funding, supervision fines and fees, specialized caseloads, generalized supervision conditions vs. individualized conditions, positive incentives vs. negative consequences, housing for supervised persons, higher education opportunities, and reentry services. You will hear about recent reforms and data, with an emphasis on the effects of these new laws and changes to reentry services.
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SESSION PRESENTERS
Ms. Erin Haney, Esq
National Policy Director, REFORM Alliance
Erin Haney has worked at all levels of the criminal justice system, from representing indigent clients from pretrial through postconviction, to working as an investigator and then as a death penalty attorney. After working as a practicing attorney for 10 years, Erin joined #cut50 as their Policy Director and led successful efforts to pass landmark state and federal legislation. She currently serves as the National Policy Director for REFORM Alliance, where she works with bipartisan coalitions and directly-impacted advocates to pass meaningful and effective legislation focused on reforming the supervision system.
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
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