Relive Innovations in Criminal Justice: The 2023 Quattrone Center Spring Symposium, a three-day criminal legal reform conference curated by the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, held May 10-12, 2023. Over 650 attendees gathered at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and virtually for 16 engaging panels, roundtables, and presentations including keynotes Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice, and journalist and author Radley Balko.
Immerse yourself in the world of criminal justice innovation as we delve into two distinct themes:
Innovations in Prosecution, co-sponsored by the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, explores pressing topics such as prosecutorial discretion in a polarized political environment, effective deferral or declination of low-level offenses, and the collaboration between prosecutors’ offices and academic research teams to enhance policies for change; and Reducing Wrongful Convictions: A Holistic Approach which sessions shed light on critical issues including false confessions, sentinel event reviews, field drug tests, plea bargains, and group exonerations.
Innovations in Prosecution
Keynote Address | Seeking Justice: A Conversation with Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, United States Department of Justice
Supplemental Materials:
The Washington Post. (2023, April 22). Excessive fines, harsh sentences focus of Justice Dept. push for equity.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/04/22/justice-department-fines-pardons-gupta/
Prosecutor-Driven Criminal Justice Reform: Lessons Learned from Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania scholars and data analysts will discuss new developments in prosecutor-driven criminal justice reform using their work with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
- Francesca Arruda de Amaral: Guns
- Lindsay Graef: Misdemeanor prosecutions
- Viet Nguyen: Courtroom workgroups
- Aurelie Ouss: Non-defendant Failures to Appear (FTAs)
- Lee Ozier: Racial disparities
- Julia Reinhold: Plea bargaining
Elevating Trust and Legitimacy for Prosecutors
- Marlene Biener, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
- Lyndsey M. Olson, Saint Paul City (MN) Attorney’s Office
-
Caroline Nobo, Justice Collaboratory, Yale Law School
Supplemental Materials:
Recent Advances in Research of Prosecutors’ Office
- Becca Goldstein, UC Berkeley Law School
- E. Rely Vîlcică, Temple University, Department of Criminal Justice
- Jeffrey Ward, Temple University, Department of Criminal Justice
APA Innovators: Sentence Review
- Doyle Niemann, State’s Attorney’s Office, Prince George’s County, MD
- Hon. Mike Schmidt, Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office
Innovations in Conviction Integrity Units: Overcoming Resistance
Moderator: Marissa Bluestine, Quattrone Center, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
- Lauren Lipscomb, Conviction Integrity Unit, Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City (MD)
- Ginger Miranda, Conviction Integrity Unit, 9th Judicial Circuit State’s Attorney Office (FL)
- Valerie Newman, Conviction Integrity Unit, Wayne County MI
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Terri Rosenblatt, Post-Conviction Justice Unit, Manhattan (NY) District Attorney’s Office
Supplemental Materials:
Prosecutor Data Transparency and Disclosure
- Matthew Saniie, Cook County (IL) State’s Attorney’s Office
Roundtable Discussion: Optimizing Collaboration Between Prosecutors and Academic Research Teams
Moderator: Sandra Mayson, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
- Mariel Delacruz, DATA Lab, Philadelphia (PA) District Attorney’s Office
- Michael Hollander, DATA Lab, Philadelphia (PA) District Attorney’s Office
- Aurelie Ouss, University of Pennsylvania
- Cindy Redcross, Office of the Bronx County District Attorney
- Greg Ridgeway, University of Pennsylvania
- Wes Weaver, DATA Lab, Philadelphia (PA) District Attorney’s Office
The Science of Engagement and Combatting Prosecutorial Burnout
- John Hollway, Quattrone Center, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
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Kevin Steele, Montgomery County (PA) Office of the District Attorney
Supplemental Materials:
Reducing Wrongful Convictions: A Holistic Approach
Police-Induced Confessions: Risk Factors and Recommendations
Moderator: Allison Redlich, George Mason University; Quattrone Center Visiting Scholar
- Hayley Cleary, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Saul Kassin, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
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Kyle Scherr, Central Michigan University
Supplemental Materials:
Sentinel Event Reviews: What Has Worked and Where Do We Go From Here?
Moderator: John Hollway, Quattrone Center, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
- Lisa Judge, City of Seattle (WA) Office of Inspector General
- Karin D. Martin, University of Washington
-
Paige Valenta, City of Madison (WI) Police Department
Supplemental Materials:
Field Drug Tests and Wrongful Convictions: What the Data Tells Us
- Ross Miller, Quattrone Center, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Group Exonerations: What Have We Learned from the NRE Groups Registry
Moderator: Ross Miller, Quattrone Center, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
- Samuel Gross, National Registry of Exonerations
- Deborah Levi, Maryland Office of the Public Defender-Baltimore
- Ken Otterbourg, National Registry of Exonerations
-
Tara Thompson, Innocence Project
Supplemental Materials:
Race and Identity Across Prosecutorial Discretion and Ethics
Moderator: Anjelica Hendricks, Quattrone Center, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
- Bennett Capers, Fordham Law School
- Johnathan Smith, DOJ Civil Rights Division
Lunch Keynote Address: Radley Balko
Supplemental Materials:
The Plea Bargaining Institute: Consolidating Research and Reform Efforts in Plea Bargaining
Moderator: Johanna Hellgren, Quattrone Center, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
- Thea Johnson, Rutgers Law School
- Jenny Roberts, American University
-
Rebecca Shaeffer, Fair Trials
Supplemental Materials:
