Highlights from Powerful “Innocence Denied” Panel at the 2017 Congressional Black Caucus Conference
09.22.17 By Alicia Maule
(Left and clockwise: Innocence Projects Special Counsel Chantá Parker, Director of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program Tara Huffman, Exoneree and motivational speaker Rodney Roberts, Professor of law Kristin Henning, Fmr. Assistant D.A. Adam Foss).
On Sept. 21, Texas Rep. Al Green invited us back to the Congressional Black Caucus to produce a panel: “Innocence Denied: Exploring the Intersection of Race, Bail and Guilty Pleas.” In a full room of guests at the Washington D.C. Convention Center, Innocence Projects Special Counsel for New Initiatives Chantá Parker moderated the conversation with criminal justice experts Tara Andrews Huffman, Adam Foss, Kristin Henning and Rodney Roberts. In addition to exploring why innocent people plead guilty to crimes they did not commit, the group explored a range of issues plaguing the criminal justice system, from implicit bias to the impact of jail on youth. The panel also discussed a range of pretrial reform policy solutions.
Panelists:
- Tara Andrews Huffman – Director of the Open Society Institute’s Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program | follow on Twitter @AndrewsHuffman
- Rodney Roberts – Exoneree and founder of the Rodney Roberts Foundation | follow on Twitter @RodneyRob2014
- Adam Foss – Former assistant district attorney and founder of Prosecutor Impact | follow on Twitter @adamjohnfoss.
- Kristin Henning – Director of Georgetown University’s Juvenile Justice Clinic | follow on Twitter @profKrisHenning.
Take a look at highlights from the conversation:
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