prisoner
An American Probation and Parole Association conference is scheduled to begin Sunday in Cleveland, and attendees will likely hear about the U.S. Justice Department's Aug. 18 declaration that jailing people because they can't pay bail is unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than 1,000 criminal justice professionals are expected to convene in Cleveland next week for an American Probation and Parole Association conference at the Huntington Convention Center downtown.
Here's what you need to know about the event:
What's the conference about?
Participants attend workshops and hear speeches about best practices in parole and probation. They also get to check out new products, including electronic monitoring devices and case-management systems.
Brandon Edwin Chrostowski, whose Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute in Cleveland's Shaker Square is staffed solely by ex-prisoners, is scheduled to speak Sunday about his widely lauded re-entry program. Tuesday, attendees are expected to tour the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Justice Center.
Will local officials attend?
Yes. Cuyahoga County Probation Department employees are expected to attend.
Common Pleas Judge Dick Ambrose, who chairs a judges' probation committee, will also speak at the opening session Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
Is bail reform be on the agenda?
The topic isn't part of the official schedule, but in light of the United States Justice Department's declaration last week that jailing people because they can't make bail is unconstitutional, it's likely to come up, the association's executive director, Veronica Cunningham, said in a telephone interview.
The national shift in criminal justice toward ensuring defendants don't end back in jail touches all facets of the system -- from bail and jail to probation and parole, Cunningham said.
Probation and parole officers often work with the same defendants as pretrial services officers, who help judges set bail and supervise defendants if they can make bail. Probation and parole officers supervise defendants after they've been convicted.
"Pretrial officers are dealing with the same population as probation and parole, so they all need to understand when you go into these communities you need to be respectful and engage people," she said. "How do you work with them and help them so they can get out of the process faster?"
When did the Justice Department weigh in on bail?
The Justice Department filed a brief in a Georgia appeals court last week contending that the Calhoun, Georgia, bail system, similar to the one used by Cuyahoga County courts, violates the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection and due process clauses.
The pronouncement from the Justice Department coincides with a study to determine whether Cuyahoga County's bail system needs to be reformed. Administrative Judge John J. Russo organized the study two weeks after cleveland.com launched Impact 2016: Justice For All, a series examining inequities in the bail system and how some courts elsewhere have devised fairer systems.
Why is the conference in Cleveland?
Cunningham said the association tries to hold its conferences in different locations every year. Cleveland was convenient for many members, as the association has a large membership base in Ohio.
When does the event end?
Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
Is the conference open to the public?
Online registration has closed. If you're interested in attending the event, call the American Probation and Parole Association at 859-244-8206.