ACLU of Louisiana and Urban Institute to Host Briefing and Bipartisan Panel Discussion on the Future of Criminal Justice Reform in Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS – The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana and the Urban Institute will host a bipartisan briefing and panel discussion on Friday, June 21 to present the findings of the ACLU’s Smart Justice Blueprint and hear from criminal justice reform experts from across the political spectrum about the next steps for reform.

The event, Toward a Shared Vision of Smart Justice in Louisiana, will feature a panel discussion moderated by Stephanie Riegel, editor of the Baton Rouge Business Report, and include Daniel Erspamer, Chief Executive Officer of the Pelican Institute; John Kay, AFP-Louisiana State Director; Scott Peyton, Right on Crime Louisiana State Director; Ronal Serpas of the International Association of Chiefs of Police; and Michael Williamson, President & CEO of the United Way of Southeast Louisiana. Udi Ofer, the Deputy National Political Director of the ACLU and Director of the ACLU’s Campaign for Smart Justice, will attend the event and provide remarks.

This is a free event but registration is required. Attendees can RSVP at: https://www.laaclu.org/

“With overwhelming bipartisan support, the justice reinvestment package has helped Louisiana shed its title as the world’s prison capital – but there’s more work to do,” said Alanah Odoms Hebert, ACLU of Louisiana. “Ending mass incarceration will take a sustained commitment by all of us – on both sides of the aisle. Today, as Louisiana works to continue the progress of these historic reforms, we hope this event helps build support for policies that will further reduce our prison population and end our mass incarceration crisis once and for all.”

WHO:

Udi Ofer, Deputy National Political Director of the ACLU and Director of the ACLU’s Campaign for Smart Justice
Alanah Odoms Hebert, ACLU of Louisiana Executive Director
Leah Sakala, Urban Institute
Daniel Erspamer, Chief Executive Officer of the Pelican Institute
John Kay, AFP-Louisiana State Director
Scott Peyton, Right on Crime Louisiana State Director
Ronal Serpas, International Association of Chiefs of Police
Michael Williamson, President & CEO, United Way of Southeast Louisiana
Stephanie Riegel, editor of the Baton Rouge Business Report

WHAT:

Toward a Shared Vision of Smart Justice in Louisiana: Briefing and Panel Discussion

WHEN:

Friday, June 21, 2019
12 – 1:30pm

WHERE:

Homewood Suites French Quarter
317 N. Rampart Street

New Orleans, LA 70112

The event is sponsored by Right on Crime, The Pelican Institute, Committee on 100, Vera Institute of Justice, and Americans for Prosperity.

In April, the ACLU of Louisiana released the Blueprint for Smart Justice Louisiana, outlining a series of reforms to reduce the number of people incarcerated in the state by half by 2025 – saving taxpayers more than $800 million that could be reinvested in making communities stronger and safer. The report is a part of the ACLU’s Smart Justice 50-State Blueprints project, a comprehensive, state-by-state analysis of how states can transform their criminal justice system and cut incarceration in half.

The Smart Justice 50-State Blueprints are the result of a multi-year partnership between the ACLU, its state affiliates, and the Urban Institute to develop actionable policy options for each state that capture the nuance of local laws and sentencing practices.

A full copy of the report can be downloaded at: https://50stateblueprint.aclu.org/states/louisiana/

For more information about the ACLU’s Campaign for Smart Justice: https://www.aclu.org/issues/smart-justice