Speakers
Workshop Session
In recent years, many jurisdictions in the US have called for using community engagement to reform the US criminal legal system and to engage the people and communities most directly impacted and harmed by the system in discussion regarding prison reform. At the same time, there has been more focused attention paid to the role of previously incarcerated individuals and community groups as primary agents of action in the system’s response to returning offenders. If they are to become involved in a productive way in the reentry process, they need to be effectively engaged and supported. 2 People with lived experience, who know the most about the problem, their families and friends, and people impacted by violence have so many qualms about how the current criminal and incarceration systems are designed not to help,but to fail justice-involved people. To help with desistance and stop the revolving door, people want to see rehabilitation and treatment at the core of the system, as opposed to punishment. And they want to see alternative programs and initiatives that address the root causes of incarceration. The benefits, both to the individual and to the public, of engaging communities and involving persons with lived experience are many. There are, however, still obstacles to overcome before it is possible to fully include their voices at all levels