[Virtual Panel on Criminal Justice Reform]
On Tuesday, May 19th, 92nd Street Y will host a virtual continuing education panel on criminal justice reform… The panel will take place online at 7 p.m. EST. For more information or to buy tickets: https://www.92y.org/event/wrongful-convictions-with-jason-flom
Photo: Youtube
Derrick Hamilton, wrongfully imprisoned for 23 years, will be part of Tuesday’s virtual panel on criminal justice reform in the time of COVID-19.
On Tuesday, May 19th, 92nd Street Y will host a virtual continuing education panel on criminal justice reform. The panel will also have a discussion about the coronavirus health crisis that is devastating the prison system as well as wrongful convictions and their catastrophic consequences for innocent men and women.
Moderated by journalist and Yale Law School lecturer Emily Bazelon, the panel will feature music executive and criminal justice advocate Jason Flom as well as Noura Jackson and Derrick Hamilton – two people who spent years behind bars for crimes they didn’t commit.
As a renowned journalist and senior research fellow at Yale Law School, moderator Emily Bazelon has extensive knowledge about the need for criminal justice reform. Her latest book, the New York Times bestseller Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, was released in paperback on May 5th. A runner-up for the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, Charged focuses on prosecutors and the history of “tough on crime” politics in the U.S. Weaving together intimate personal narratives with deep research on bias and racism in the American criminal justice system, the book documents the enormous power that prosecutors wield both in the courtroom and beyond.
Bazelon is also a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and co-host of the Slate podcast Political Gabfest. Her work focuses extensively on the law, women, and family issues – making her one of the nation’s leading voices on issues surrounding the lives caught up in the criminal justice system.
Wrongfully convicted of murder in 2005, Jackson spent 11 years in prison despite her repeated pleas of innocence, no physical evidence linking her to the crime scene, and DNA tests that excluded her as a suspect. Since her release in 2016, she has worked tirelessly for the rights of those who have been wrongfully convicted as well as those who are navigating the complex process of re-entering society after being incarcerated. She has served as the president of Meet Your Mentor, the re-entry chairperson for the Justice Impact Bar, and the public relations director for Women Empowered to Become Self-Sufficient (WEBS).
Derrick Hamilton was imprisoned for 23 years after he was convicted for murder in 1992. While fighting his wrongful conviction from behind bars, he spent a large amount of time doing jailhouse legal work – assisting other inmates with research, filing motions on their behalf, and helping with their appeals. Since his exoneration and release, he’s worked tirelessly to help others who have been wrongfully convicted. Along with Sundae Moses, anther inmate, Hamilton is the founder of a support group called Friends and Family of the Wrongfully Convicted.
The founder and CEO of Lava Media (which includes Lava Music and Lava for Good Podcasts), Flom has been recognized for his philanthropy and his passion for criminal justice reform. Over the years, he’s worked closely with policymakers, activist groups, celebrities and other philanthropists to shine a light on the stories of those who have been wrongfully convicted and petition for their cases to be re-examined. In his Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom podcast (which will launch its 10th season on May 20th), Flom has interviewed Brendan Dassey, Rodney Reed, and hundreds of others who have found themselves imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit.
During the discussion, Jackson and Hamilton will unravel the saga of their own wrongful convictions. Joined by Flom and Bazelon, the discussion will also cover the current state of the criminal justice system during the coronavirus pandemic, what needs to change both now and in the future in order to save lives, and what others can do to help.
The panel will take place online at 7 p.m. EST. For more information or to buy tickets: https://www.92y.org/event/wrongful-convictions-with-jason-flom
About 92Y:
For 145 years, 92nd Street Y has been serving its communities and the larger world by bringing people together and providing exceptional, groundbreaking programs in the performing and visual arts; literature and culture; adult and children’s education; talks on a huge range of topics; health and fitness; and Jewish life. Founded 145 years ago to serve the Jewish people, 92nd Street Y promotes individual and family development and participation in civic life within the context of Jewish values and American pluralism. As a nonprofit community and cultural center, 92nd Street Y seeks to create, provide and disseminate programs of distinction that foster the physical and mental health of human beings throughout their lives, their educational and spiritual growth and their enjoyment. 92nd Street Y reaches out beyond its core constituency of American Jews to serve people of diverse racial, religious, ethnic and economic backgrounds, seeking partnerships that leaven our programs and broaden our influence.
