On Thursday, October 29, at 6:15pm, Cabrini University will host the Criminal Justice Reform & Beyond panel discussion, moderated by Vivian C. Smith, PhD, Chair and Associate Professor of Criminology, and Bethany Van Brown, PhD, Assistant Professor of Criminology.
Sponsored by Cabrini’s Department of Sociology and Criminology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Office of University Diversity Initiatives, the online event will explore the varying dimensions of the criminal justice system in America through a panel of individuals who bring their varied perspectives to the discussion to examine the future of criminal justice reform.
Panelists include Mariel Delacruz from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office; Nicole Porter from the Sentencing Project in Washington, DC; Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele; Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer; and Norristown Chief of Police Mark Talbot.
Dialogue about America’s criminal justice system has never been more important, with incarceration rates already higher for people of color and on the rise. Recent events have sparked ongoing protests and calls for reform, locally and nationwide. In West Philadelphia last night, protests and looting followed the police shooting and killing of Walter Wallace Jr., who was allegedly armed with a knife. Thirty police officers were injured, and approximately 30 people have been arrested or detained. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw has said the Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Unit has been ordered to begin an investigation.
“We are excited to have an honest conversation about what criminal justice reform could look like in our area,” said Smith. “It is important to have this kind of dialogue so that we can reimagine what our criminal justice system could look like in the future.”
To attend, RSVP to PAS726@cabrini.edu.