Washington, D.C. — Prosecutors are powerful actors in the criminal justice system. They have wide-ranging discretion and authority to decide whether to charge someone with a crime and what that charge should be. For decades, these gatekeepers in the criminal justice system have championed “tough-on-crime” policies that have coincided with the explosion of mass incarceration in the United States, which has the largest incarcerated population of any country in the world.
The movement to reform the criminal justice system has identified prosecutors as a key battlefield for enacting criminal justice reform. Across the country, local prosecutors have set a new precedent of winning elections on reform-minded platforms that propose sweeping changes to a punitive criminal justice system while also making communities safer. In 2019, voters in three of the most populous counties in northern Virginia made clear that their prosecutors must have a definitive commitment to criminal justice reform.
Please join the Center for American Progress for a discussion on the evolving role and responsibilities of prosecutors with three of Virginia’s newly elected, reform-minded prosecutors.
Press are welcome to RSVP here.
A light lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. ET.
WHO:
Introductory remarks
Ed Chung, Vice President of Criminal Justice Reform, Center for American Progress
Panelists
Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Commonwealth’s Attorney-Elect, Arlington County and City of Falls Church
Steve Descano, Commonwealth’s Attorney-Elect, Fairfax County
Buta Biberaj, Commonwealth’s Attorney-Elect, Loudoun County
Moderator
Josie Duffy Rice, President, The Appeal
WHEN:
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
12:00 p.m. ET – 1:00 p.m. ET
WHERE:
Center for American Progress
1333 H Street NW, 10th floor
Washington, D.C., 20005
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Claudia Montecinos at [email protected] or 202-481-8145.