top of page

SCHEDULE

8:00 AM

BREAKFAST & SUMMIT OPENING PLENARY

Mistress of Ceremony: Victoria Henderson Weber, President of Des Moines Branch NAACP 

Summit Invocation: Dedric Doolin, President of Cedar Rapids NAACP

DMACC Welcome: Abby Zegers, Executive Director of Higher Education in Prison and Adult Education and Literacy, Des Moines Area Community College

Summit Welcome: Betty C. Andrews, President of Iowa-Nebraska NAACP & Founder of Iowa Summit on Justice and Disparities

Introduction of Keynote: Robert Pate, Image4Lives.com

Opening Keynote: Louis L. Reed, Author and Reentry Activist Who Helped Secure the Historic Bipartisan First Step Act

LOUIS L. REED BIO

9:15 AM - 10:15 AM

PLENARY POWER PANEL

Annual Status Update Panel: Progressing Justice for the 21st Century. Have we moved the needle? Various justice-related state officials and advocates review recent reform efforts, the disparities that persist, and share how they are working to change them.
Moderator: Henry Hamilton, President of the Iowa State Bar Association, Federal Administrative Law Judge

Panelists: Dr. Beth Skinner, Director of Iowa Department of Corrections; Senator Brad Zaun, Chair of the Iowa Legislature Judiciary Committee; Wayne Ford: Former Iowa State Representative & Disproportionate Minority Confinement Committee (DMC) Chair, Steve Michael, Division Administrator, Department of Human Rights, Division of
Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning (CJJP); Dale Woolery, Director, Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy

 

10:25 AM -1 1:15 AM

SESSION 1 WORKSHOPS

11:20 AM - 12:10 PM 

SESSION 2 WORKSHOPS

12:15 PM - 1:30 PM

SUMMIT LUNCHEON

Mistress of Ceremonies: Kimberly Graham, Polk County Prosecutor Elect
Sponsor Remarks: Janet Lyness, Johnson County Attorney

Introduction of Keynote: Helen Miller: Former Iowa State Representative and Iowa Parole Board Chair

Luncheon Keynote: Kemba Smith, Author, Poster Child: The Kemba Smith Story - how she went from college student to drug dealer’s girlfriend to domestic violence victim to federal prisoner.

Acknowledgments: Kevin Sanders, President, Iowa City NAACP, 2nd Vice President Iowa-Nebraska NAACP

KEMBA SMITH BIO

 

Announcement from the Iowa Supreme Court: Chad Jensen, Director of Juvenile Court Services 

Acknowledgement: Dedric Doolin, National NAACP Board Member and President of Cedar Rapids NAACP

1:35- 2:45PM

SPECIAL PLENARY POWER PANEL

owa’s Juvenile Justice Crisis One-Year Later. Where Are We Now?  

Last year at the Iowa Summit on Justice & Disparities, Chad Jensen, Director of Juvenile Court Services on behalf of Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen announced a statewide Juvenile Justice Task Force to commence a “holistic review of the juvenile justice system” inclusive of addressing Iowa’s glaring racial statistics. That report is scheduled to be released in January. This panel will outline the latest research on
inequities in the juvenile system and potential legislative changes and recommendations that could help close the gap.
Moderator: Hon. Odell McGhee, Fifth Judicial District, Associate Judge (Ret.); Special Guest Panelist: Richard Mendel Senior Research Fellow, The
Sentencing Project and author of the new report, "Diversion: A Hidden Key to Combating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile Justice." 

Panelists: Ako Abdul-Samad, State Representative & Founder of Creative Visions Human Development Center; Steve Michael, Division Administrator, Department of Human Rights, Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning; Deb Van Velzen, Senior Police Officer, Youth Services Coordinator, Des Moines Police Department;
Lawrence Daniel (JCS Supervisor)

REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE OUTSIDE MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM

2:50 PM - 3:40 PM

SESSION 3 WORKSHOPS

3:45 PM - 4:30 PM

CLOSING CHARGE & STRATEGIC TAKE-AWAYS

Closing Strategy Session:  Betty C. Andrews, President, of the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP & Founder of the Iowa Summit on Justice & Disparities

bottom of page