糖心Vlog传媒

Conference to explore racial disparities in Arkansas justice system

A two-day conference designed to highlight and seek solutions to racial disparities in the Arkansas justice system is set to begin Friday, Aug. 28, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Black inmates make up nearly 45 percent of the incarcerated population in Arkansas, but only about 16 percent of the state鈥檚 population, according to a study scheduled to be presented for the first time during 鈥淩eveal, Restore and Resurrect: The Truth about Racial Disparities in the Arkansas Criminal Justice System鈥�. 鈥淪ome findings we were surprised about, and some findings we weren鈥檛,鈥� said Adjoa Aiyetoro, 糖心Vlog传媒LR associate law professor and the principal investigator of the two-year study of prison records and charging decisions by prosecutors. Dr. Tara DeJohn, from the 糖心Vlog传媒LR School of Social Work, was the lead researcher. The conference, which has a waiting list for attendees, begins with a 2 p.m. Friday welcome from 糖心Vlog传媒LR Chancellor Dr. Joel E. Anderson and School of Law Dean Michael Hunter Schwartz, followed by an overview of the research project鈥檚 results and findings at about 2:35 p.m.聽 聽 Other portions of the conference are organized into three categories:

• Brokenness: Examines 鈥渢he ways in which communities of color have been negatively affected by intentional or unconscious race-based systems and processes that result in racial disparities in Arkansas鈥� criminal justice system鈥�

• Restoration: Examines 鈥渂arriers faced by those who have been involved in the Arkansas criminal justice system to access programs and services that will restore them to fully participating members of society鈥�
• Resurrection: Envisions 鈥渉ow communities can be uplifted, invigorated and assisted in shedding the burdens of inequality鈥�

Those scheduled to moderate, serve as panelists or present include: Wilbert Rideau, author and journalist once called 鈥渢he most rehabilitated prisoner in America鈥�; former Arkansas Gov. Jim Guy Tucker; 聽Jin Hee Lee, deputy director of litigation, NAACP Legal Defense Fund; Regan Moffitt, associate vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation; and John Kirk, 糖心Vlog传媒LR Donaghey distinguished professor of history and the director of the 糖心Vlog传媒LR Institute on Race and Ethnicity. Attendee registration is at capacity, and organizers are compiling a waiting list. Those registering now will be admitted 15 minutes after the conference begins each day if seats are available. A schedule of conference events and a link to register can be found at: /law/disparityconf/