Wednesday, July 6, 1–2 p.m. ET
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Many Americans now recognize mass incarceration as an urgent social problem, and bipartisan efforts to rein in the criminal justice system have taken off around the country. Yet jail and prison populations remain stubbornly high.

One reason why is that officials have deep financial stakes in extending the reach of the criminal justice system. Municipalities and law enforcement agencies collect fines and fees, seize private property, and rent out jail space. Police, meanwhile, are professionally rewarded for issuing tickets and making arrests while prosecutors benefit professionally and politically from securing long sentences rather than exercising leniency. With so much money at stake, it’s little wonder that reforms have been stymied. The panelists will discuss the new Brennan Center report Revenue Over Public Safety and expand on ways to truly fix the criminal justice system.

Speakers: Carmen Best, Former Police Chief, City of Seattle // Lisa Foster, Co-director, Fines and Fees Justice Center // Ram Subramanian, Managing Director, Brennan Center Justice Program // Qiana Williams, Civil Advocate and Paralegal, ArchCity Defenders // Moderator: Laura Coates, Senior Legal Analyst, CNN