The Justice Roundtable calendar features its meetings and events, in addition to relevant Capitol Hill briefings and hearings, and partner and affiliate workshops, trainings, conferences, and other events.
State Actions in Policing Reform
Please join the National Governors Association (NGA), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) on Thursday, May 6th at 2 p.m. EDT for a briefing on state and territorial actions in policing reform. In response to public calls for law enforcement reform and in the wake of high-profile officer-involved deaths, states across the country, with the Governor’s leadership, convened statewide discussions and took action to reform law enforcement and policing policies in their…
Find out more »Disrupting Carceral Systems: Criminal Surveillance of Black Communities
From the juvenile legal and dependency systems, immigration, housing, and the criminal legal system, Black children, families, and communities are surveilled and forced to barter their freedoms to receive essential resources. Join us as we discuss the government surveillance of Black communities within the carceral systems that Black public defenders fight to disrupt. We will hear from Black public defenders, civil rights experts, and directly impacted advocates and learn how we can engage the Biden-Harris Administration to dismantle these destructive…
Find out more »REMOTE PROGRAM: A Briefing on the 2021 Reform Proposals from the District Task Force on Jails and Justice
The District Task Force on Jails & Justice was formed in 2019 as an independent advisory body dedicated to redefining the District's approach to incarceration. Over two years, the Task Force's diverse members engaged 2,500 D.C. residents, studied D.C. data and other jurisdictions’ reform efforts, and deliberated at length. On February 11, 2021 the Task Force released "Jails & Justice: Our Transformation Starts Today", a bold report that offered 80 recommendations designed to help D.C. to invest in safe communities,…
Find out more »ADVANCING TOGETHER SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION — May 18 – May 20, 2021
Advancing Together: Forging a Path Toward a Just, Inclusive and Unified Society A National Symposium on Racial Justice and Social Change in America Hosted by the U.S. Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs | May 18 – 20, 2021 Tuesday, May 18: The relationship between Justice and Truth Welcome Remarks — 11 am EDT Panel 1 — 11:30 am EDT - 1 pm EDT Panel 2 — 2:30 pm EDT - 4 pm EDT Wednesday, May 19: Participation in Transformative Social…
Find out more »The EQUAL Act: It’s Time to Finally End the Disparity
For decades, our federal sentencing scheme has had a drastic disparity in its treatment of crack cocaine and powder cocaine, resulting in disproportionate and overly harsh sentences for thousands. Crack cocaine and powder cocaine are two forms of the same drug, but under federal law we impose the same penalties for the possession of one amount of powder cocaine and an amount of crack cocaine that is 18 times smaller. This makes it much easier to trigger a serious mandatory…
Find out more »Uprooting the Drug War Discussion Series: Public Benefits, the Drug War, and Denial of Benefits
Even though public benefits, like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, or welfare) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) help people better meet basic needs, states have limited access to these programs. In 1996, Congress imposed a lifetime ban on individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving TANF and/or SNAP benefits. Federal law still requires states to deny benefits to people with felony drug convictions or to affirmatively opt out of or modify the ban. Over…
Find out more »Beyond the Bars Events
Beyond the Bars was previosuly postponed in solidarity with the the Graduate Workers of Columbia Union strike to fight for a fair contract. The Union has reached a tentative agreement which you can read more about here: https://columbiagradunion.org/ New Dates & Registration The new dates for Beyond the Bars are the evenings of May 6th, 7th, 13th, 20th and 27th. Below, you can learn about what is happening each evening. If you are already registered for the conference, you do…
Find out more »June 2nd: Quarterly Assembly
This event is complimentary. Virtual networking will be from 9:45 am-10:00 am. The meeting will begin at 10:00 am EST sharp. RSVP HERE ON THE AGENDA: JUSTICE ROUNDTABLE QUARTERLY ASSEMBLY AGENDA Zoom Webinar I. 9:45–10:00 Virtual Networking: Put Name, Organization & City in Chat Box II. 10:00 Welcome: Nkechi Taifa, Convener, Justice Roundtable III. Feature: Special Reflection on the War on Drugs and What We Must Do Today: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Chair, House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee IV. Video Clip featuring Lawrence Garrison, survivor of…
Find out more »Second Look at Injustice: Growing Momentum for Reform
Legislators in 25 states have recently introduced second look bills to review long sentences. A federal bill allowing resentencing for youth crimes has bipartisan support. Over 60 elected prosecutors and law enforcement leaders have called for second look legislation, and several prosecutors’ offices have launched sentence review units. These reforms could significantly shrink the prison population and tackle its racial disparities. Join us for a webinar on the latest research and advocacy around second look reforms. Panelists will discuss California’s…
Find out more »WILEY A. BRANTON AWARDS LUNCHEON
The Washington Lawyers’ Committee is proud to announce that the recipient of this year’s Alfred McKenzie Award will be a group of organizations that have done extraordinary work on compassionate release during the pandemic, when many lives were at risk. Here are this year’s recipients, who worked together through the Compassionate Release Clearinghouse: FAMM (formerly known as Families Against Mandatory Minimums) National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers The Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia George Washington University Law…
Find out more »Justice That’s Just Virtual Event
A convening to reflect on last year, hear about bold ideas, & a call to prioritize self-care as leaders continue to advance justice reform. About this event Join us on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 as we gather virtually as a community to take a moment to pause after an extremely difficult year and talk about our collective work to advance a new vision of justice – justice that’s actually just. Our time together will serve as: A reflection point on…
Find out more »YWCA Virtual Hill Briefing on June 16: Why Congress Should Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis
This event is hosted by YWCA USA in conjunction with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recognized, racism is a public health crisis. Centuries of racism in the U.S. have created deep inequities in housing, income, healthcare, education, public safety, transportation, food access, and other social determinants of health, with profound negative impacts on the long-term physical and mental health of millions…
Find out more »A Crime Against Humanity: A Juneteenth Reflection on the Enduring Legacy of the Superpredator Myth and Ways to Repair Its Damage
A virtual event contextualizing policy shifts that led to human rights abuses in the U.S. justice system against children of color and offering federal-level solutions. RSVP HERE
Find out more »A Global Conversation on Reparations
The Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center at Howard University School of Law will host: "A Global Conversation on Reparations" Friday, June 18 at 1:30 pm Eastern time Presented in honor of Juneteenth, this program examines reparations from a global perspective, with advocates from the United States, the Caribbean, the UK and Europe discussing the challenges and progress in achieving reparations. In addition, the webinar will share information about international advocacy for reparations, and discuss where and how this work fits…
Find out more »Join us on Juneteenth to abolish slavery, once and for all
Did you know that the Thirteenth Amendment did not fully abolish slavery? Most people are surprised to learn that it includes an exception that has historically allowed slavery and involuntary servitude to be used as punishment for crime. As a result, the racist legacy of slavery — carried through Black Codes, Jim Crow laws, mass incarceration, and police brutality — continues to threaten the lives of Black people, and other people of color. Join us June 19th at 1pm…
Find out more »End The Exception: Celebrating Juneteenth with the Abolition Amendment
Passed in 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is celebrated for abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude once and for all, but it didn’t. To the surprise of many, the Thirteenth Amendment includes an exception clause that makes slavery and involuntary servitude legal as punishment for crime. As a result, the racist legacy of slavery — carried through Black Codes, Jim Crow laws, mass incarceration, and police brutality — continues to threaten the lives of Black people, and other…
Find out more »Meeting to discuss the High Commissioner’s report on racism and police violence
The UN High Commissioner's Report on Racism: How do we use it? What are the next steps? Featuring remarks from Professor Gay McDougall, UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Discussion facilitated by Kerry McLean, international human rights lawyer Thursday, July 8 at 12 pm Eastern time REGISTER: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pfu6hqDIqHtc1RpvJ9P5_eHx028G8rUoK Please review the report prior to the meeting so that you can weigh in. The report is available here and the accompanying conference paper is here. *Language interpretation will be provided
Find out more »Markup of H.R. 1693, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act or the EQUAL Act / U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee
Markup of H.R. 1693, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act or the EQUAL Act; H.R. 4035, the Real Justice for Our Veterans Act of 2021; H.R. 3372, the The One Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act of 2021; and H.R. 4435, the Fight Notario Fraud Act of 2021 https://judiciary.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=4644
Find out more »State of Affairs: Examining the Intersectionality of Progressive and Regressive State Legislation
Join the State Issues Working Group for an event addressing the juxtapositions in progressive and regressive reforms that are part of the state criminal legal reform landscape and elevating state developments for the justice roundtable so that federal advocates are aware of state reforms in shaping changing norms.
Find out more »Attica Prison Uprising 50th Anniversary
Upcoming Webinar REGISTER HERE Attica Prison Uprising 50th Anniversary Wednesday, June 21 at 6:00pm ET: The Attica Prison Uprising in 1971 was a significant event in the Prisoner’s Rights Movement that called for major changes in New York’s corrections system. Based on the incarcerated men’s demands for better living conditions and political rights, the five days of rebellion offer essential context for contemporary conversations about prison reform. In this program we examine racial justice activism, civil rights, and the significance of…
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