Two weeks ago, nearly 500 attendees from more than 300 non-profit organizations gathered in New Orleans for a 3-day summit called “Advancing Justice: An Agenda for Human Dignity & Public Safety.” The summit was sponsored by the wealthy Koch family. The very first evening of the conference proved that this was going to be a very powerful event, with a lot of influential men and women providing their thoughts on justice reform. Some of the speakers included Brian Hooks for Koch, director of the Hammond Institute and the Center for Economics and the Environment at Lindenwood University, Howard Wall, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Johnny Taylor, and president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Brooke Rollins. Talking Points included the trade-off between incarceration and crime reduction, turning discussion into action, the necessity of diversity on views, voices and ideas, and an urge to apply research in order to foster conversations in our respective communities and states.
The Koch Brothers? Really?
The Koch brothers are politically invested through their financial commitments in the upcoming elections, so the summit raised some eyebrows. As one NOLA.com journalist reported the program included Frederick Douglass’ quote, “I would unite with anybody to do right, and with nobody to do wrong.” It is evident that the Charles Koch Institute was trying to make a point of bringing opinions from all political persuasions to the table. Some insiders believe the Koch brothers also believe that whichever political party is successful with reforms will win voters from the people most affected by harsh prison sentences: African-Americans and Hispanic populations.
The Importance of Criminal Justice Reform
There is a need for criminal justice reform both national and local levels. One area that comes to mind is the right to a speedy trial. It’s disappearing. And, it’s injustice. If you feel that your rights have been violated, something shady or un-just is going on with a trial that you are someone you know is a part of, give an experienced criminal defense attorny at Crescent City Law a call at (504) 364-9492, or e-mail, Tweet or give us a shout on Facebook. We’re available nights, weekends, and off-site and have translators available in Spanish, French, Mandarin & Cantonese Chinese. It is not only our job to fight for your rights, but it is our passion as well.
