Prison Reform Experts, Advocates to Gather in Chicago for Conference on Parole System Reform

In a country where over two million people are incarcerated, the United States continues to face scrutiny for its broken parole systems, which have become a major contributor to mass incarceration. To tackle this pressing issue, advocates, legal experts, and community organizers will come together for a two-day conference aimed at discussing parole reform and its role in decarceration efforts. Hosted by the MacArthur Justice Center’s National Parole Transformation Project (NPTP), Realizing Release: Parole Advocacy and The Fight for Decarceration will take place on Sept. 14-15, 2024, at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in Chicago.& The event will focus on strategic impact litigation, community-based advocacy, and collaborative efforts to challenge the systems driving incarceration rates across the U.S. The conference will provide a platform for system-impacted individuals, parole reform advocates, and legal professionals to share insights and strategies aimed at transforming the parole landscape. Keynote speakers include Alexa Van Brunt and Amy Briehan née Malinowski from the MacArthur Justice Center, Anthony Dixon from the Parole Preparation Project, La Tanya Jenifor-Sublett of the Chicago Torture Justice Center, and James “Jimmy” Soto, a Justice Practitioner Fellow. “As parole systems become increasingly recognized for fueling mass incarceration, the need for reform is...