Race & Identity Across Prosecutorial Discretion & Ethics | 2023 Quattrone Center Spring Symposium

Race and Identity Across Prosecutorial Discretion and Ethics, Anjelica Hendricks, Quattrone Center, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School; Bennett Capers, Fordham Law School; Johnathan Smith, DOJ Civil Rights Division

Relive Innovations in Criminal Justice: The 2023 Quattrone Center Spring Symposium, a three-day criminal legal reform conference curated by the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, held May 10-12, 2023. Over 650 attendees gathered at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and virtually for 16 engaging panels, roundtables, and presentations including keynotes Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice, and journalist and author Radley Balko.

Immerse yourself in the world of criminal justice innovation as we delve into two distinct themes: Innovations in Prosecution, co-sponsored by the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, explores pressing topics such as prosecutorial discretion in a polarized political environment, effective deferral or declination of low-level offenses, and the collaboration between prosecutors' offices and academic research teams to enhance policies for change; and Reducing Wrongful Convictions: A Holistic Approach which sessions shed light on critical issues including false confessions, sentinel event reviews, field drug tests, plea bargains, and group exonerations. Engage with leading researchers and policymakers as they share their expertise and discuss holistic approaches to improving the quality and accuracy of the criminal justice system.

Whether you missed the live event or wish to revisit the enlightening discussions, witness the symposium's highlights from the comfort of your own screen. Stay informed, inspired, and join the conversation on the future of criminal legal reform.

WATCH THE FULL SYMPOSIUM

CONNECT WITH THE QUATTRONE CENTER FOR THE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

ABOUT THE QUATTRONE CENTER FOR THE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
The Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School is a nonpartisan, national research and policy hub producing and disseminating research designed to prevent errors in the criminal justice system. The Center takes an interdisciplinary, data-driven, “systems approach” to identifying and analyzing the most crucial problems in the justice system, and proposing solutions that improve its fairness for the benefit of society. Its research and programs are independent and unbiased, engaging all parties required to effect substantial change for the better — academia, the judiciary, law enforcement, defense and prosecution, legislators, forensic and social scientists, victims’ rights advocates, the media, and others.

The Quattrone Center is a first-of-its-kind organization focused explicitly on inter-disciplinary, data-driven policy level research, and recommendations designed to address the system factors that lead to criminal justice error. Rather than focusing primarily on individual cases or on remedying past errors, the Center works to identify institutional and policy-level barriers to fairness and accuracy and then to implement solutions that prevent future mistakes. The Quattrone Center focuses primarily on two types of error: (1) wrongful arrests, incarcerations or convictions; and (2) policies or procedures that result in disparate outcomes among similarly-situated individuals. We analyze these situations using a broad range of techniques with proven success in reducing errors in such diverse industries as healthcare, aviation, and manufacturing, among others. Housed at the University of Pennsylvania, the Quattrone Center draws on Penn’s unrivaled interdisciplinary strengths, involving scholars from disciplines across the Penn campus, including Business, Communications, Criminology, Engineering, Medicine and Public Health, and Social Sciences.