It’s a Crime: Using Technical Violations to Re-Incarcerate

Tens of thousands of people are sent back to prison each year not because they have committed new crimes, but because they have committed “technical violations” while on parole. How is this adding to mass incarceration and what does this mean during a pandemic? Join our speakers with lived experience, advocacy know-how, and legal expertise as we tackle the problems and solutions in the age of COVID.

Keynote: Emily NaPier Singletary and Derek Singletary, co-founders and co-executive directors of Unchained (NY).

Derek has a lifetime of experience fighting oppression and is currently incarcerated in the New York state prison system pursuing his Bachelor’s degree from inside the walls. Emily has worked to dismantle systems of punishment for over 15 years as an organizer, advocate, researcher, and educator. Together they are bridging the gap between prison and community to build a more powerful movement.

Moderator: Dehlia Umunna, Lawyer, Deputy Director & Clinical Instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) at Harvard Law School

Panelists:

• Jonathan Best, impacted person who was violated on parole for a technical issue, not a crime, and served an extra 93 days
• Patricia Garin, defense attorney who supervises the Prisoners’ Rights Clinic at Northeastern Law School and teaches students to appear before the parole board
• Wayne Lane, impacted person who was sent back to prison for 14 months for a technical violation
• Katy Naples-Mitchell, attorney working on research and legislation to eliminate the possibility of sending people to prison for parole technical violations

Co-sponsored by CHHIRJ, Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, and the Coalition for Effective Public Safety