Learn to advocate for criminal justice reform at this weekend’s Breaking Down Walls conference

The Goldring Reentry Initiative and the Mural Arts Restorative Justice Guild are pleased to announce Breaking Down Walls: From Prison to Power, a free event for everyone interested in criminal justice.

The conference, happening this Saturday, May 6, is for those who want to learn, build community, find resources for people who were previously incarcerated and their family members, and find ways to advocate for ongoing reform.

This is no longer a partisan issue — it is one that impacts all of us and of which we are all a part.

Every day in the work that both the GRI and the Guild do inside of jail and in the community with folks who have recently come home, we see people struggling to make a life for themselves and to improve the greater community. This event will highlight some of those individuals and the incredible work they have done since coming home.

This conference will feature:

• Representatives from JustLeadershipUSA and the Philadelphia Reentry Think Tank
• A screening of the film “Rikers: An American Jail“
• A keynote address from Shaka Senghor, author of “Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison,” who was incarcerated for nearly 20 years

We believe that those who are closest to the problem are closest to the solution, which is why the vast majority of our speakers were previously incarcerated. Within jails and prisons all over the United States, there are millions of bright, innovative people who are removed from the rest of society.

There will be an opportunity for people who are directly impacted to share their stories in audio and visual forms through a collaboration with the Reentry Project. Artwork from artists who are currently or were previously incarcerated will be on display throughout the space. Plus, a resource fair of about 30 service providers and advocacy agencies will be there to provide support. All Pennsylvania-licensed social workers can receive four free CEUs for attending by emailing PennGRI@sp2.upenn.edu.

We hope you join us on Saturday, May 6, from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at the International House to hear from people directly impacted by the system and learn about their pathways from incarceration to activism, from civil death to civic engagement.