League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County
Press Release

League of Women Voters February 8 Public Issues Forum: Pathways to Criminal Justice Reform

Free program will be held in the 1st Floor Conference Center at Summit Place, 6737 W. Washington Street, West Allis.

By - Jan 22nd, 2020 05:43 pm

Milwaukee – Criminal justice reform is the topic of a public issues forum presented by the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County on Saturday, February 8, 2020. This free program will be held in the 1st Floor Conference Center at Summit Place, 6737 W. Washington Street, West Allis. Ample free parking is available.

The program runs from 9:45 to 11:30 a.m., with coffee/social time beginning at 9:00 a.m. Breakout discussion groups will begin at 11:45 for those wishing to further explore the topics.

“The state’s criminal justice policies affect all Wisconsin residents. The League of Women Voters supports strategies that emphasize violence prevention, include alternatives to incarceration, and make our communities stronger,” said Peggy Creer, president of the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County. “The League’s public issues forums are designed to promote civic engagement, and criminal justice reform encompasses many critical issues.”

The focus of the criminal justice forum is to explore some of the key areas where reform is most needed and to consider legislative pathways to reform. “Democracy is a living and participatory project.  Criminal justice reform can only happen if we are all energetic advocates,” said Barbara Notestein, Pathways to Criminal Justice Reform Committee co-chair and former state representative and assistant majority leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Panelists will make presentations on various topics including youth justice, racial inequities, current Wisconsin sentencing law and national trends, proposed criminal justice reforms, and proposed legislation. The presentations will be followed by panel discussion. The panelists include: Evan Goyke, state representative; Sharlen Moore, founder, Youth Justice Milwaukee; Michael O’Hear, law professor, Marquette UniversityGretchen Schuldt, executive director, Wisconsin Justice InitiativeSean Wilson, Smart Justice statewide organizer, ACLU  of Wisconsin. The panel will be moderated by Janine Geske, retired Wisconsin Supreme Court justice and founder of Marquette Law School’s Restorative Justice Institute.

Breakout sessions following the program will explore such topics as: Restorative Justice; How to Effectively Communicate with Your Legislators to Advocate for and Support Reform; Understanding Trauma in Criminal Justice; Financial Consequences of Incarceration and Community Supervision; Crimeless Revocation; and Unlocking the Vote for individuals on community supervision.

Visit www.lwvmilwaukee.org for more information.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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