MARYLAND STATE BAR ASSOCIATION'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

PRESENTS

“Beyond the Bars: A Symposium on Reentry in Maryland.”
Date: May 20, 2008
Time: 8:30-4:30
Place: University of Maryland School of Law and Westminster Hall

The symposium is intended to exhibit the efforts of the government, non-profit/charitable organizations and ex-offenders to educate all interested parties and the surrounding communities with reentry issues.

Representatives from successful reentry programs (both private and public) will be invited to present stories of their achievements and learning experiences to an audience of approximately 200 attendees, which will include parole and probation officers, prison administrators, Maryland legislators, other members of the Maryland legal and judicial community, and private/non-profit organizations. Obstacles to employment for ex-offenders and new trends in reentry initiatives will also be highlighted.

Our research shows that Maryland's recidivism rate remains at more than 50%. For example, about 12,000 ex-offenders are released from Maryland prisons each year, two-thirds of whom will return to Baltimore City neighborhoods. By raising awareness of local and statewide resources currently available to re-entering individuals regarding opportunities for vocational training, employment and substance abuse treatment, the Leadership Academy Fellows hope to decrease the rates of recidivism.

The Keynote Speaker for the Symposium will be Dan Rodricks of the Baltimore Sun and WYPR. Other confirmed participants in the Symposium include Alfreda Robinson, Michael Pinard, Erick Seleznow, Andy Stritch, Constance Parker, Brenda Shell, Diana Bailey, Paul Harris, Brother Bey, Linda Deming, Brenda Bratton Blom, Alison Asti, Felix Mata, Vicki Lopez-Lukis, Nicole Lindahl and Jane Brown.

The Leadership Academy Fellows are also partnering with the University of Maryland's Center for Substance Abuse Research in populating its database of public and private resources and programs available for individuals who have recently reentered society from prison or jail. Our goal is to have 100% participation from each county. The information will be consolidated on their website at http://www.mdcsl.org.

Thank You to our Current Sponsors:

  • The MSBA Budget & Finance Committee
  • Mead & Flynn
  • Alliance of Black Women Attorneys
  • University of Maryland School of Law
  • Montgomery County Bar Foundation
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Maryland
  • Keller Printing
  • Gore Brothers, Inc.
  • Baltimore County Bar Foundation
  • Maryland State Bar Association
  • Golden Helpdesk
  • St. Thomas More Society

For more information, please see the attached flyer or contact us at info@beyondthebarsmd.org. If you plan to attend, we would appreciate your RSVP, either by electronic or regular mail or by fax by May 1, 2008. Click here to download the flyer. We look forward to seeing you there.

Please visit our website again for periodic updates.

The Leadership Academy Fellows
 


Maryland State Bar Association
520 W. Fayette St
Baltimore, MD 21201