This one-hour virtual forum is designed to brief Maryland citizens, businesses, and government leaders on upcoming public safety and justice issues including persistent crime, policing reforms, and criminal justice system approaches ahead of the January 2021 Maryland General Assembly session.
 

The panel description is as follows: 

“In 2020, Baltimore will mark over 300 homicides for the 6^th year in a row – ranking it as one of America’s murder capitals yet again. Meanwhile, scandals roil Charm City’s criminal justice system and broader national pushes for police and justice reforms gain urgency. How can Annapolis improve public safety in Baltimore and beyond? What reforms to policing and sentencing practices should be considered to reduce abuses and inequities? This panel will address how policymakers can reduce violence, provide for the public’s safety, and pursue justice more effectively while restoring public trust in the criminal justice system more broadly.”  

Moderator: Sean Kennedy - The Maryland Public Policy Institute

Panel:

• Jason Johnson - Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund
• Cristina Layana Varas - Baltimore City Mayor's Office
• Thiru Vignarajah - Former Deputy Attorney General for Maryland