A conference examining racial injustice in Iowa’s legal system titled "Racial Justice and Disproportionate Minority Incarceration" will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, in Jones Commons, located on the third floor of the University of Iowa Lindquist Center, 240 S. Madison St. in Iowa City. The event is free and open to the public.

Organizers say that the forum will educate attendees on existing disparities in the criminal justice system as well as propose concrete solutions.

The daylong workshop will feature keynote addresses by Adrien Wing, Bessie Dutton Murray Professor of Law and executive director of the UI Center for Human Rights, and ACLU-Iowa executive director Ben Stone.

Other presenters will include former state representative Wayne Ford, local leaders working to reform Johnson County juvenile justice practices, and a “community impact panel” of people directly affected by the criminal justice system.

While there is no cost to attend, interested individuals are asked to pre-register by emailing humanrights@iowa-city.org. Attendance for the full day is encouraged but not required.

The forum is organized by a number of university and community sponsors, including the Iowa City Human Rights Commission, UI Center for Human Rights, Johnson County Disproportionate Minority Contact Committee, Consultation of Religious Communities, the UI College of Education Teacher Leader Center, the Coalition for Racial Justice, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, ACLU-Iowa.

The UI Center for Human Rights is part of the UI College of Law.

The schedule is as follows:

• 10 a.m.—Welcome by Shams Ghoneim, Iowa City Human Rights commissioner.
• 10:15 to 10:50 a.m. —Keynote and Q+A: "The 'War On' is worn out: Getting smart on race and justice in Iowa," by Stone.
• 10:50 to 11 a.m. —Break
• 11 a.m. to Noon—Community Impact Panel with former adult prisoners and/or family members who will speak about their personal experiences with the justice system. Dorothy Whiston, pastor of First Baptist Church, will facilitate this panel discussion.
• Noon to 1 p.m.—Lunch on your own
• 1 to 1:45 p.m.—Legislative Initiatives: A focus on Iowa’s Racial Impact Statement law and how it can be used to improve the justice system by Wayne Ford, former state legislator and current chair, Disproportionate Minority Contact Committee, Iowa Juvenile Justice Advisory Council.
• 1:45-2:15 p.m.—Facilitating Systemic Changes. Learn about local efforts to reduce disparities in the juvenile justice system in Johnson County, including a new collaboration involving schools, police, juvenile court, and community members by LaTasha Massey, disproportionate minority contact coordinator, Johnson County, and Sara Barron, community relations director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County.
• 2:15 to 3 p.m.—Keynote and Closing Remarks: “The Future” by Wing.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend the conference, contact Jim Verry with the UI College of Education Teacher Leader Center in advance at 319-335-5353 or at james-verry@uiowa.edu.