Beyond the Bars: Breaking Through

Beyond The Bars: Breaking Through is the fourth annual student- driven interdisciplinary conference on mass incarceration held at Columbia University. Given the greater consciousness in society of the state of Mass Incarceration in the United States, this conference seeks to enable people to further the discussions around a variety of issues, and take action based on new knowledge. The conference launches Friday night with well-renowned guest speakers and performances. It continues into Saturday, with informative, thought-challenging, action-based panels and workshops headed by community members, professionals, professors, and students in a variety of fields concerned with mass incarceration.

Please register for the conference through eventbrite 

Friday Night Kick-off Event
Lerner Hall, Roone Arledge Auditorium
2920 Broadway New York NY 10027 **Use Broadway Entrance**
1 Train to 116th Street
Speakers include Angela Davis, Fania Davis, Beth Richie, and other leading voices.
Performances by Bryonn Bain and Impact Repertory Theatre

Saturday Panels and Workshops
Columbia University School of Social Work
1255 Amsterdam Ave. New York NY 10027 (Between 121st and 122nd St)
1 Train or AC/BD to 125th Street, walk to Amsterdam and head South

Morning Panels

Panel # 1: Transforming Systems: Education at the Center  (10:00 AM -11:30 PM)

Panel #2:  Transforming Systems: Imagining Justice and Safety without Mass                                                 Incarceration (11:45 AM – 1:15 PM)

——– Lunch Break  1:15- 2:15 ——–

Afternoon Workshops

Block #1: 2:15 – 3:45

1. The Impact of Parental Arrest on Children

2. Faith-Based Communities: Their Role in the Criminal Justice System

3. Immigration Detention and Mass Deportation

4. Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement

5. Campaign Development 101: Through the Lens of Raise the Age

6. Reproductive Health Rights in Prison: A Skills-Based Workshop

7. Women, Reentry, and Gender-Responsive Programming

Block #2: 4:00 – 5:30

1. The Intersection of Higher Education and the Criminal Justice System

2. Parole and Aging People in Prison

3. Restorative Justice in the Context of Domestic Violence: Exploring Culturally Sensitive Practices in Communities of Color

4. Policing Under Bratton: A New Era or Business as Usual?

5. Tracking Trans* Individuals Across the Justice System Continuum: Identifying Service Gaps and Promoting Safety

6. How Can it Be Done Better? An International Comparison of Justice Systems

7. Theater for Social Change in an Era of Mass Incarceration