News

Building Bridges III: An examination of Connecticut’s Re-Entry Policy

January 17, 2008

Sponsored by: CCSU's Institute for Municipal & Regional Policy (IMRP) and The Governor William O'Neill Endowed Chair

January 17, 2008

Audience

All entities administering and/or affected by Connecticut criminal justice policies and practices including: state legislators and local elected officials; state and municipal agencies; the Judicial Branch; law enforcement; non-profit provider organizations; business leaders; academics and students; and local and statewide community-based organizations.

Theme
Re-entry: A status update and informed discussion on prisoner re-entry policies and practices in Connecticut, with particular emphasis on exploring state-municipal partnerships aimed at facilitating successful community reintegration.

Speakers and Panelists

Keynote Speaker: Dennis S. Schrantz

Keynote Speaker Dennis Schrantz

Building Bridges II: A continuing discussion on Connecticut’s justice reinvestment

January 12, 2006

Session One: Welte Hall, CCSU

Audience

All entities administering and/or affected by Connecticut criminal justice policies and practices
including: state legislators and local elected offi cials; state and municipal agencies; the Judicial
Branch; law enforcement; non-profi t provider organizations; business leaders; academics
and students; and local and statewide community-based organizations

Theme

Where are we now? A status update and informed discussion on criminal justice policies
and practices in Connecticut, with particular focus on the offender re-entry strategy
(Public Act 04-234) and the concept of justice reinvestment

View Update of P.A. 04-234

Keynote Speaker

Debbie Mukumal
Director Prisoner Reentry Institute
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, NYC

 

Session Two: Welte Hall, CCSU

Theme

What’s next? An informed discussion on the next steps to: (1) facilitate implementation and
funding of the offender re-entry strategy and the justice reinvestment concept; (2) enhance
state and local collaboration on criminal justice and offender re-entry issues; and (3) further
identify and reduce the barriers to re-entry among offenders and ex-offenders

Keynote

"Doing Well by Doing Right At the Crossroads of Justice, Connecticut and Beyond"

Delivered by Prof. Ruth Gilmore, USC.

Building Bridges: From Conviction to Employment

January 15, 2003

Wednesday, January 15, 2003

Herbert Welte Hall
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, CT

Join professionals from the fields of workforce development, state agencies, business, legislative and judicial branches of government in examining the barriers encountered by ex-offenders when seeking employment and how the national pilot “Justice Reinvestment” initiative may help.

Featuring Nationally Known Speakers:

MICHAEL JACOBSON, Ph.D., Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
JAMES AUSTIN, Ph.D., Director, Institute of Crime, Justice, and Corrections at George Washington University
ERIC CADORA, Grants Officer, Open Society Institute, New York
Guests of Honor: Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin B. Sullivan and House Speaker Moira K. Lyons

 

8:00 Registration/Continental Breakfast

 
8:30 Welcoming Remarks

 
9:00 Keynote Address: Michael Jacobson, Eric Cadora and Dr. James Austin

 
10:00 From Conviction to Employment: Two former offenders discuss their personal experiences.

 
10:45 Panel Presentation, “The Role of the Ex-Offender in Today’s Economy”

Moderator: Dr. Stephen Cox, Chair, Dept. of Criminology & Criminal Justice, CCSU

Sam Agnello, Employment Sup., Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

Frank Crandall, Educational Training of Wethersfield /New London

Nora Duncan, CT Association of Non-profits

Craig Hoekenga, CEO, Microboard Processing Inc., Shelton

John Tirinzonie, Director Job Development, CT Department of Labor
12:00 Luncheon (provided) in Alumni Hall, located in CCSU’s new Student Center

Speakers: Wallace Barnes, Chair, CT Employment and Training Commission

Shaun Cashman, Commissioner, CT Department of Labor

Patricia Wilson-Coker, Commissioner, CT Department of Social Services
1:30 Briefing on Justice Reinvestment Initiative by Eric Cadora and Bob Schall, Director of the Self-Help Ventures Fund
2:00 Panel Presentation, “Reinvesting Justice Dollars in the Employment of Ex-Offenders”

Moderator: Rep. William R. Dyson, New Haven

William Carbone, Director of Court Support Services, CT Judicial Branch

Dr. Patrick Hynes, Director of Program Development, CT Dept. of Correction

Rep. Michael Lawlor, East Haven

Lawrence McHugh, President, Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce

Gail Sturges, Director of Forensics, CT DMHAS

Renee La Mark Muir, Program Review and Investigations Committee
3:30 Next Steps: Representative William R. Dyson