Realizing Release

Registration + Breakfast

Opening Plenary, Thorne Auditorium

Workshop Block 1

1.1 Disability Justice: Making Parole Rights Accessible (RB 140)
CLE eligible
People with disabilities face unique barriers in navigating the parole process and life under post-release supervision. In this panel, experts will take an intersectional approach to discuss how different states treat people with disabilities differently and how advocates must employ a variety of strategies–from awareness-raising campaigns to litigation–to expand the parole rights of people with disabilities.

Jennifer Baker, Disability Rights Michigan
Christine Smith, Latham & Watkins
Alexis Karteron, New York University School of Law
Yosef Moore, Access Living (Moderator)

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1.2 Participatory Defense: Communities Challenging Courts and Convictions (RB150)
Incarceration strains the bonds that tie families and communities together. Participatory defense is a community organizing model that strengthens them by empowering family and community members to participate in the defense of their loved ones. Systems-impacted organizers will share their experiences with mass defense campaigns, from how they started fighting for justice to how they’ve built the movements creating new leaders today.

Imani Mfalme, Silicon Valley Debug
Rodney Derrickson, Prisoners’ Lives Matter Pennsylvania Campaign
Monica Cosby, Organizer, Circle Keeper, Artist
Mark Clements, Chicago Torture Justice Center (Moderator)

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1.3 This Ain’t Our First Rodeo: How to Survive and Thrive in a Tough Political Climate (RB 180)
Advocates from the Parole Advocacy Coalition of Texas will share how their coalition came to be and the creativity involved in overcoming challenges to pass legislation in Texas. Hear how organizers unite justice-impacted people and their family members, attorneys, and community organizations to build momentum for parole transformation and inspire hope to sustain the fight.

Jennifer Toon, Parole Advocacy Coalition of Texas
Marci Marie, Parole Advocacy Coalition of Texas
Christina Vodochodsky, Parole Advocacy Coalition of Texas
Justin Martinez, Parole Advocacy Coalition of Texas (Moderator)

Lunch

Workshop Block 2

2.1 The Hurdles: Parole Revocation Units and Making New Systems (RB 140)
CLE eligible
Parole revocation hearings return thousands of people to prisons each year without or with minimal due process. In this panel, advocates will share how they have successfully changed their states’ parole revocation systems through litigation. They will discuss the obstacles advocates face when holding existing systems accountable and building new ones, as well as the ‘special ingredients’ for litigation that make change possible.

Olivia Fritz, NPTP
Stacey Lannert, State Public Defender of Missouri
Mara Voukydis, Parole Advocacy Unit, Committee for Public Counsel Services
Alexa Van Brunt, MacArthur Justice Center (Moderator)

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2.2 The View from Behind the Desk: Insights from Former Parole Board Members (RB150)
Can you change the system from within? Hear 3 former parole board members discuss the barriers they faced–and opportunities they found–when they joined parole boards in New York, Illinois, and New Mexico to try to build momentum for reform.

Sheila Lewis, Former Chair, New Mexico Parole Board
Carol Shapiro, Former Commissioner, New York Board of Parole
Max Cerda, Former Member, Illinois Prisoner Review Board
Ben Austen, Author (Moderator)

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2.3 Resourceful Resources: Creating Distributable Guides for Parole and Re-entry (RB180)
In this workshop, hear from panelists who are involved in creating or distributing parole and reentry guides for folks seeking parole and their families. These guides can help people on parole to navigate hearings and to find resources and support, and they can go everywhere advocates can’t.

Sara Whitaker, West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy
Helen Gaebler, Texas Defender Service
Ronnie Carrisquillo, Illinois Prison Project
LaTanya Sublett, Chicago Torture Justice Center (Moderator)

Coffee Break

Regional Breakouts

Connect with advocates in your region!
Northeast (RB 140)
Midwest (RB 150)
South (RB 180)
West (RB 175)

Evening Social Event

25 E Washington, 7th Floor Atrium

Gather with attendees for a post-conference social in the heart of the Chicago Loop! Enjoy dinner and drinks just blocks away from the iconic Millennium Park and Cloud Gate sculpture (“The Bean”). Sign up below when you register for the convening!

Breakfast

Workshop Block 4

4.1 In the Weeds of Parole Preparation (RB140)
CLE Eligible 
Direct representation can change more than just one life at a time. Join this panel to learn about the difference between parole preparation and classic criminal defense, about the multidisciplinary approach that this work necessitates, and about the breadth and limit of its potential to create change.  

Allison Elder, Time Served (Moderator)
Denali Wilson, DeServing Life   
Keith Wattley, Uncommon Law  
Gina Papera-Ewing, Parole Prep NY  

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4.2 From the Ground Up: Building Popular Support to Transform Parole (RB 150)
Organizers from New York, Arkansas, and Illinois meet to discuss the big questions: What is the true purpose of parole? What does it mean to take accountability? How can parole become more responsive to an individual’s needs and circumstances? They will ground their answers in their work changing parole systems through legislation, and will consider both the theoretical and practical aspects of each question.

Bryson Austin, Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition
Jose Saldana, Releasing Aging People in Prison Johnnie Khalif Veal, Project Sound Off
James Swansey, Restore Justice (Moderator)

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4.3 Investigating Parole Systems (RB 180)
CLE eligible
The first step to changing a low-visibility parole system is shining a light on it. Hear from advocates observing and documenting parole systems across the country through journalism, litigation, and academia. Learn effective strategies for data and narrative collection, how to find good sources, and how investigations can lead to real change.

Emmett Sanders, Prison Policy Initiative
Beth Shelburne, Independent Journalist and co-producer of the Alabama Solution
Fiona Doherty, Yale Law School
Bridget Geraghty, NPTP (Moderator)

Lunch

Closing Plenary, Thorne Auditorium

Keynote Address

Xavier McElrath-Bey, Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth 

Chicago Historical Tour

Led by Shermann “Dilla” Thomas

Chicago historian Dilla, as he is affectionately known, is an Emmy Award-winning modern historian, cultural worker, and brand ambassador. Dilla has become a Chicago influencer, activist and social media sensation. What began by going viral on TikTok has led into perspective shifting, publicly accessible history lessons for all. Dilla’s history videos on everything Chicago have been viewed over 40 million times, and he has amassed a following of 300K followers across all social media platforms. Dilla has been featured on all manner of Chicago media and has also appeared nationally on both The Today Show and The Kelly Clarkson Show. Dilla is a proud lifelong resident of Chicago’s South Side. He lives by the saying that everything dope about America comes from Chicago. Learn more about Dilla here.

Join Dilla for a tour of Chicago’s historic Englewood neighborhood. Spots are limited and priority will be given to guests from outside of Chicago. Sign up below when you register!