The Social Justice Speaker Series Presents:
Afterward – When Violence Occurs, The State’s Concept of Justice Leaves Out Many Victims, Survivors, And Communities.
What Would They Say If We Invite Them To Speak?
Presenter: Leah Nelson
Date & Time: Thursday, January 25th, 2024 from 7:00PM – 8:00PM
Location: Via Zoom
Zoom Link: (Participants will be prompted to enter name and email address)
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtc-2hpzoiEt0WC-N0wEc72_s_o73OU0BV
Cost:
FREE to attend
FREE CE for CPA Members
$15.00 CE Processing Fee for Non-members
Continuing Education: Eligible for 1 CE
Abstract:
Crime and punishment drive politics in many states and at a national level. Every time a major story about crime or violence or prisons breaks in the news, there is backlash from law enforcement and lawmakers calling for even more punitive measures in response. That backlash often provokes passionate responses from advocacy groups who point toward existing failures in our system of mass incarceration and raise concerns about the likely effects of making our justice system even harsher. Again and again, these groups square off and resume familiar arguments in an effort to wrestle with the problem, which never seems to go away. A few survivors’ voices occasionally rise to the surface. But the people who have the most power to create or change laws and policies in the wake of violence bear little resemblance to the people who are most harmed by it. Meanwhile, the cycle continues. “Afterward” is an effort to broaden the discourse and bring unheard voices into the conversation where they belong.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how mass criminalization of neighborhoods and demographic groups undermines individuals’ ability to access public safety resources when they are in danger;
- Define the idea of “perfect victims” and identify at least 1 way in how it undermines the ability of the people statistically most likely to need public safety resources to safely access them.
- Acknowledge that for many victims/survivors of violent crime, “justice” and “punishment” are not necessarily synonymous, and identify at least 2 priorities and needs that remain unmet and unaccounted for by the criminal legal system.
Research Citations
Nelson, L. (2023). “Afterward: When violence occurs in, the state’s concept of justice leaves out many victims, survivors, and communities. What would they say if we invited them to speak?” Alabama Appleseed. https://alabamaappleseed.org/
Nelson, L. (2022). “A Bitter Pill: Prisons have become the deadly epicenter of Alabama’s addiction crisis, even as the state’s response begins to show signs of success elsewhere. How do we bridge the gap?” Alabama Appleseed. http://alabamaappleseed.org/a-
Nelson, L. (2018). “Under Pressure: How fines and fees hurt people, undermine public safety, and driver Alabama’s racial wealth divide.” Alabama Appleseed. http://alabamaappleseed.org/
Presenter Biography
Leah Nelson serves as Research Director at Alabama Appleseed, where she coordinates and conducts original research into drivers of poverty and incarceration in Alabama. She is Appleseed’s principal expert on the collateral consequences of fines, fees, and other legal financial obligations and leads their work to develop a holistic understanding of, and develop a strategy to meet, the needs of victims of violent crime who come from communities disproportionately impacted by criminalization and violence. Leah brings expertise in civil asset forfeiture, drug policy and drivers of incarceration to Appleseed’s reform agenda.
Prior to joining Alabama Appleseed, Leah spent five years in the Capital Habeas Unit of the Middle District of Alabama Federal Defenders, supporting the appeals of death-sentenced individuals seeking new trials. Before that, she worked as a reporting fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center. In 2021, she served as volunteer investigator on the legal team that helped Claudette Colvin successfully petition for the expungement of her 1955 juvenile conviction for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white woman.
Post-Webinar Evaluation Form:
Coming soon….
The Connecticut Psychological Association (CPA) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Connecticut Psychological Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 1 CE credit is available per hour for attendees who are present for the entire program. We ask that all participants return the post-program evaluation form at the conclusion of the program.
CPA and our speakers have not received any commercial support for this program or its contents and will not receive any commercial support prior to or during this program.
