The Power of Prosecutors in the Decarceration Movement

A conversation featuring Emily Bazelon, author of Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, with Khalil Cumberbatch, Chief Strategist at New Yorkers United for Justice, and Matt Epperson, Associate Professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, where he also serves as Director of the Smart Decarceration Project.

Prosecutors’ offices are a critical site for decarceration, as they have a significant influence on whether and how individuals are processed through the criminal justice system. Despite their critically important role in the criminal justice system, prosecutors have not often been the focus of research nor of criminal justice reform efforts. Bazelon's latest book explores prosecutors as the missing piece in the mass incarceration puzzle. This conversation will examine how the current shift toward progressive prosecution could be leveraged to reduce the use of mass incarceration.

Date and Time
Wed, September 25, 2019
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM CDT
The event will start at 5:30pm with a light reception followed by the panel discussion and Q&A. Emily Bazelon will be available after the Q&A for book signing.

Location
University of Chicago
School of Social Service Administration
969 East 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

REGISTER HERE

Emily Bazelon is a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, the Truman Capote Fellow for Creative Writing and Law, and a lecturer at Yale Law School. Her previous book is the national bestseller, Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy. She’s also a co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest, a popular weekly podcast. Before joining the Times  Magazine, Bazelon was a writer and editor at Slate, where she co-founded the women’s section “DoubleX.”

Khalil A. Cumberbatch currently serves as Chief Strategist at New Yorkers United for Justice, a coalition of diverse organizations whose goal is to pass criminal justice reform legislation in New York State. He previously served as Associate Vice President of Policy at the Fortune Society, a reentry organization whose goal is to build people and not prisons. He is also a lecturer at Columbia University School of Social Work.

Matthew W. Epperson, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, where he also serves as Director of the Smart Decarceration Project.

 

* Event is free – Event is free and open to the public. Registration is required; Please register by September 23.

* If you can no longer attend, please cancel your ticket on Eventbrite so others may register.

* Transportation/Parking: In addition to street parking near SSA (Midway Plaisance, Ellis Avenue, and 60th Street), University of Chicago surface parking lots are free and open after 4:00pm. The closest lots are #6 Wells, #8 Woodlawn Social Services Center, and #9 Edelstone.

* Persons with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact Carmella Snook, csnook@uchicago.edu or 773.702.9700 at least three days in advance of the event.

*1.5 CEUs available. The Professional Development Program at SSA is a state of Illinois licensed provider of continuing education for social workers, clinical psychologists, professional counselors, and marriage & family therapists. Indicate your interest in CE credit at check-in.

 

For general questions about the event, contact Bethany at bethanyu@uchicago.edu or 773-834-5689.

This program is supported by The Smart Decarceration Project and The Allen Burns Memorial Fund at The University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.