On May 4, 2019, graduate student leaders of “Justice Works,” a student organization at The University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, organized and hosted “Envisioning a Transformed Justice System,” a symposium with over 150 participants that included elected officials, clinicians, researchers, community organizers, students, and formerly incarcerated individuals. The symposium had over 30 speakers who brought their professional and personal experiences with smart decarceration and criminal justice transformation in realms of policy, restorative justice practice, and prisoner’s rights. The event was supported and funded by a wide variety of centers and units at the University of Chicago, including the Smart Decarceration Project, directed by Matthew Epperson, PhD, network co-lead for the Grand Challenge to Promote Smart Decarceration.
