Overview

Profound connections exist between what has been called a "cycle of incarceration" and inadequately addressed social conditions in such areas as education, economic opportunity, housing, child welfare, race, and health. This cycle of incarceration is fueled by criminal justice policies that emphasize incarceration over human service and community-strengthening investments that address the individual, family, school, and environmental risk factors for delinquent or criminal behavior.

At this moment in time, we have a unique opportunity to address the interrelated issues that fuel America’s cycle of incarceration. With more than one in every 100 adults in America in jail or in prison, and with black men in their early 30’s more likely to have been in prison than to have graduated from college, the nation can no longer afford – in terms of economics, public safety, or social justice – to ignore the devastating personal and community effects of concentrated poverty, the entrenched racial disparity of America’s criminal justice system, or the mass institutionalization of young men of color.

Moreover, the progress which policymakers, advocates, and service providers have made, by working together to address reentry policy issues, suggests that the time is right to advance a more integrative approach to justice reform. This approach seeks to create safe, fair, and equitable communities by using multi-disciplinary collaboration to address the underlying, interrelated social issues that fuel the cycle of incarceration.

Join us for the Behind the Cycle Summit, as we break out of our disciplinary silos to deepen our understanding of the connections in our work, explore the successes and challenges of interdisciplinary collaboration, and identify collaborative strategies to strengthen communities, impact policy decisions, and stop the cycle of incarceration before it begins.

Conference Goals

To seed and energize a new movement to promote a more integrative approach to justice reform by convening a national summit that:

• Promotes interdisciplinary collaboration as a critical means of addressing the underlying, interrelated social issues that fuel the cycle of incarceration.
• Expands successful reentry efforts by focusing attention on the “pre-entry” period to stop the cycle of incarceration before it begins.
• Identifies “best practices” and develops case studies for successful cross-sector, interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Informs the development of a policy agenda that promotes a more integrative approach to justice reform.
• Promotes dialogue between service providers, community-based organizations, policy advocates, and researchers to support the development of strategies to impact change and stop the cycle of incarceration before it begins.

Who Should Attend?

The Behind the Cycle Summit is intended to provide a forum for cross-sector, multi-disciplinary dialogue among the many advocates, service providers, academics, researchers, and others who are interested in using multi-disciplinary collaboration to create safe, fair, and equitable communities. Participation in the summit is appropriate for anyone interested in collaborating across disciplines to address the education, economic, housing, health, child welfare, and other interrelated social issues that fuel the cycle of incarceration among the poor and communities of color, including:

Register

Registration is now closed.

Please note: If you have requested a scholarship for travel and/or hotel accomodations, you will be contacted directly.

Idea Exchange

The Behind the Cycle Summit will provide an informal opportunity for an “Idea Exchange” where participants with innovative programs and projects not highlighted during the panel sessions will present 15 minute overviews. We hope to broaden collaboration through this idea sharing and to stimulate the additional discussion of ideas.

To be considered as a participant in the “Idea Exchange,” please complete this form by November 14. We will contact you by November 21 if you are selected to present.

Location

The summit will be held at:
Bethesda Marriott Hotel
5151 Pooks Hill Road
Bethesda, MD 20814

If you would like to stay at the hotel, a room rate of $144.00 single/double (+ tax) is available for summit participants. Reservations must be made by November 20, 2008 to receive the group rate. Please call 1-800-228-9290 and mention that you are a Behind the Cycle Summit participant to reserve the special rate.

Travel Information

By Air: There are three major airports in the Washington D.C. area: Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and Washington Dulles Airport (IAD). All three are approximately a 40 min drive to the hotel. Rental cars, shuttle services, and taxis are available at the airports. DCA also has a Metro station. The hotel does not provide a complimentary shuttle service from the airports.

By Car: Click here for map/driving directions.

By Public Transportation: The hotel is located near the Medical Center (Red Line) Metro station. Once you exit the Metro look for the Bethesda Marriott shuttle bus.

Contact

For additional information, please use the OSI-Washington contact form.

Agenda

Download a copy of the agenda below.