Free. Advance registration required.
This event has concluded. Registration is closed.

As we embark on our nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, it is crucial to reflect on a fundamental question: Have we truly established justice? In an era marked by mass incarceration, the answer appears increasingly uncertain. More pressing, however, is the question of how we can effect meaningful change toward creating a criminal legal system that is smaller, more effective, and more humane. The United States currently has one of the largest incarcerated populations in the world, with over a million individuals in prisons and hundreds of thousands more in jails. This expansive system disproportionately affects marginalized communities, administering punishment on an unimaginable scale while failing to achieve public safety. Instead, it perpetuates inequality and recidivism. Why has the United States adopted punishment as its primary response to social harm? What viable alternatives exist? And how does this system influence our communities and electoral processes, locally and nationally?

In partnership with The Free Library of Philadelphia, the Brennan Center for Justice, and the Mayor's Office of Black Male Engagement, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site hosts this compelling Justice 101 discussion featuring a distinguished panel of scholars, practitioners, activists, and thought leaders.
 

Discussion Panelists:

 Lauren-Brooke Eisen (she/her) is the Senior Director of the Brennan Center’s Justice Program where she leads the Brennan Center’s work to end mass incarceration. Her team focuses on exposing the profound social and economic hardships that impact those who encounter the justice system while creating policies that ultimately shrink its size and scope.

Before joining the Brennan Center, Eisen was a senior program associate at the Vera Institute of Justice, where she worked on the sentencing and corrections team to implement policies in multiple states to improve public safety while reducing prison populations. She also previously served as an assistant district attorney in New York City, where she worked in the Appeals Bureau, the Criminal Court Bureau, and the Sex Crimes Special Victims Bureau. Before entering law school, Eisen worked as a beat reporter for a daily newspaper in Laredo, Texas, covering criminal justice and immigration. Eisen holds an AB from Princeton University and a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center.

 Wadud Ahmad, Esq. (he/him) – As President of Ahmad Zaffarese, Ahmad oversees the growth, stability, and strategic vision of the firm. His responsibility is to ensure that the bouquet of ideas, life experiences and cultural perspectives that each of the team’s attorneys possess is leveraged for the benefit of their clients. Before founding Ahmad Zaffarese, LLC, Ahmad began his legal career as a prosecutor at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. Currently, his practice focuses on public finance, and advising municipalities and businesses on responsible corporate governance.

Kathy Foer-Morse (she/her) — Kathy Foer-Morse is a criminal justice advocate focusing on women and incarceration. Her firsthand experience with the criminal justice system and being incarcerated gives her a deep understanding of how these issues impact women and girls, their families, and friends.  Kathy is dedicated to raising awareness within the community about these impacts; she currently works for a New Jersey nonprofit that provides reentry services.

Michael R. Resnick, Esq. (he/him) — Commissioner; Philadelphia Department of Prisons — Bio coming soon.

Moderated by Dr. Kerry Sautner (she/her), President & CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, with remarks by Kelly Richards, President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and Abu Edwards, Director of Black Male Engagement for the City of Philadelphia.

Activations by Pennsylvania Prison Society, Committee of Seventy, and the Mayor's Office of Black Male Engagement.

---

About Justice 101:

Justice 101 is a discussion series examining the history of the justice system in America, from its founding to today, and the impact it has on society, citizens, and the world. Justice 101 programs are free and take place monthly. Guests can join live, or watch the discussions back anytime on YouTube. Justice 101 is designed for learners of all ages. Click here for a full list of upcoming programs.