Report release, panel, and discussion on the way the criminal justice system treats those who lack political and financial power.

In prison, on probation, and on parole, 6.7 million people live under court-ordered supervision. The mass criminalization and incarceration of our communities, disenfranchises and disempowers millions of Americans, and undermines the legitimacy of our democracy.

The influence of anti-democratic policies and the corrupting effects of corrections industry money loom over all aspects of mass criminalization. Felony disenfranchisement renders those most deeply affected by the system unable to vote against it -- often even after they’ve served their time -- while prison gerrymandering stacks the political deck against the home communities of individuals in prison. Meanwhile, the increasingly profitable industries that administer many American prisons use their wealth to obtain lucrative contracts, lobby for industry-friendly legislation, and help elect supportive candidates.

The Democracy Behind Bars report spotlights the way the criminal justice system treats those who lack political and financial power.

Light breakfast provided.

Panelists:

Marc Howard, Prisons and Justice Initiative at Georgetown

Nicole Porter, The Sentencing Project

Aleks Kajstura, Prison Policy Initiative

Karen Hobert Flynn, Common Cause

Davon Woodley, NADAP