Professor Presents at the White House, DOJ Event on Criminal Justice
On Dec. 3, Professor Cynthia Jones gave a presentation at the White House on the prevalence of racial and ethnic disparities in bail. The day-long event, called “A Cycle of Incarceration: Prison, Debt and Bail Practices,” brought together leading researchers, legal practitioners, and senior government officials to bring public attention to the connection between poverty and the criminal justice system and highlight state reform efforts. Some notable participants included Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama Valerie Jarrett and Attorney General of the United States Loretta Lynch.
Professor Jones was a member of the opening panel of the conference, entitled “Framing the Conversation.” She was joined by actor Michael B. Jordan (“Creed,” “The Wire,” and “Fruitvale Station”) and director of “The Wire,” “Treme,” and other notable works David Simon.
During her presentation, Professor Jones said that "bail should be a mechanism for release, not for retention," NBC News reports.
Professor Jones has written about reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system for the past three years. The topic is the subject of her grant project, The Pretrial Racial Justice Initiative.