agenda

summit schedule

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Breakfast

Breakfast will be served in the pre-function space outside the Ballroom

9:00AM - 9:05 AM Opening Prayer & Welcome Remarks

Craig DeRoche, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy, Prison Fellowship

Summit Moderator: Carlton Miller, Senior Associate for Strategic Partnerships, FWD.us

9:05 AM - 9:10 AM Video Presentation: "The State of Incarceration in Mississippi"

Presented by FWD.us

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM Opening Session

Judge Keith Starrett, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi   

9:25 AM - 9:35 AM Welcome from the Host

Russ Latino, Vice President of Economic Freedom, Americans for Prosperity

9:35 AM - 10:00 AM View from the Governor

The Honorable Phil Bryant, Governor of Mississippi

10:00 AM - 10:05 AM Video Presentation

Presented by American Conservative Union Foundation’s Center for Criminal Justice Reform

10:05 AM - 11:00 AM Panel Discussion: Criminal Justice Reform and the Economy

The panel will focus on the economic burdens that incarceration places on taxpayers, the workforce, and justice-involved people and their families.

  • Dr. David Hughes, Professor, University of Tennessee
  • Tanner Magee, Louisiana State Representative
  • Joanna Weiss, Co-Director, Fees and Fines Justice Center
  • Moderated by Marc Levin, Vice President of Criminal Justice Policy, Right on Crime

11:00 AM - 11:10 AM Break

Refreshments will be available in the pre-function space outside the Ballroom.

11:10 AM - 12:10 PM Panel Discussion: Criminal Justice Reform and Families

The panel will focus on incarceration’s impact on families, including data, research, and personal stories.

  • Asya Branch, Miss Mississippi 2018
  • Patsy Houser, Parent Advocate
  • Scot Spencer, Associate Director of Advocacy and Influence, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
  • Moderated by Felicity Rose, Director of Research and Policy - Criminal Justice Reform, FWD.us

12:10 PM - 1:00 PM Lunch

A buffet lunch will be served in the pre-function space outside the Ballroom.

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM Polling Presentation: Public Opinion on Criminal Justice Reform

Robert Blizzard, Partner, Public Opinion Strategies

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Keynote Session: Bipartisan Conversation on Criminal Justice Reform

  • Matt Schlapp, Chairman, American Conservative Union
  • Van Jones, President and Co-Founder, #cut50
  • Moderated by Michael Troncoso, Director of Criminal Justice, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

2:30 PM - 2:40 PM Break  

Refreshments will be available in the pre-function space outside of the Jackson Grand Ballroom.

2:40 PM - 3:40 PM Panel Discussion: Criminal Justice Reform and Safe Communities

The panel will focus on Mississippi leaders at the local level who have advanced reforms in their communities while protecting public safety.

  • Sheriff Steve Rushing, President, Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association
  • Anthony Witherspoon, Mayor of Magnolia
  • Juan Cloy, Deputy Director, The Police Training Institute
  • Ingrid Cloy, Director, The Mississippi Center for Excellence
  • Moderated by The Honorable Judge Keith Starrett

3:40 PM - 4:40 PM Lightning Sessions on Criminal Justice Policy

Policy experts will discuss proven solutions to some of Mississippi’s most pressing criminal justice problems.

  • Mandatory Minimums: Molly Gill, Vice President of Policy, FAMM
  • Bail and Pretrial Detention: Terry Schuster, Associate Manager of the Public Safety Performance Project, The Pew Charitable Trusts
  • Reclassification of Drug Possession: Ron Gordon, General Counsel, Office of the Utah Governor
  • Rightsizing Community Supervision: LaTonya Tate, Founder and Executive Director, Alabama Justice Initiative and Niyah White, Policy Associate, FWD.us

4:40 PM - 5:00 PM Closing Remarks and Prayer

Pastor CJ Rhodes, President, Clergy for Prison Reform

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Official Summit Reception

Location: Two Mississippi Museums, 222 North St, Jackson, MS 39201

Roundtrip bus transportation between The Westin Jackson and Two Mississippi Museums will be provided.