January 1, 2020 marked the beginning of a brand-new decade that many anticipated with optimism and a chance at a new lease on life. However, what followed in the following few months were a string of wild fires, airplane crashes in Iran and Pakistan, the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, social unrest over the killing of George Floyd, the deadly explosion in Beirut, and various natural disasters -- all under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In prisons, COVID-19 impacted many and the number of people testing positive for the virus continues to grow. This has prompted a major push from the advocacy community to have people released early from prisons and jails, especially the elderly. Others from the advocacy community are advancing campaigns to reduce the number of people on probation and parole, and pushing to ensure that people receive supportive services upon release, especially housing.
2021 has been a year of significant change within the criminal justice reform movement. In this episode, The Fortune Society’s CEO, JoAnne Page, will participate in “Both Sides of the Bar’s” year-in-review – a look at the year 2021 and a discussion of where we are now and where the criminal legal reform world is heading.