Panelists to discuss citizen reintegration

A panel discussion on “Citizen Reintegration: Supporting Reentry through Relationships” will highlight the ways non-profit organizations led by formerly incarcerated people are empowering citizens returning from incarceration and others impacted by the criminal legal system across the state of Michigan.

Panelists include Adam Grant, Executive Director of A Brighter Way, LaQuan Hill, Programs Director, Trauma Informed Peer Lead Reentry Navigator at A Brighter Way, and Johnell Allen-Bey, Flint Regional Coordinator for Nation Outside. 

The event begins 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 8 in the Park Library’s Sarah & Daniel Opperman Auditorium. Admission is open to the public.

The forum panelists will discuss their journey to advocacy on behalf of those impacted by the justice system, will identify the misconceptions, myths and stigmas surrounding formerly incarcerated people during the reintegration process, and will consider the role that non-profit organizations, students, faculty, and community members can play in supporting citizens returning from incarceration. The forum will also include an opportunity for questions, answers, and audience discussion.

Sociology faculty member Elizabeth Bradshaw says the forum is important to highlight barriers to reentry and showcase solutions for supportive citizen reintegration after incarceration.

"This event is a collaborative effort between myself and formerly incarcerated students who completed CMU’s course Social Issues through the Prism of a Prison (SOC 330) and are now working in executive positions in non-profit organizations supporting reentry," said Bradshaw.

The forum is supported by the registered student organization Student Advocates for Prison Reform and the Incarcerated (SAPRI) and the School of Politics, Society, Justice and Public Service (SPSJPS).