Deaths in Custody Conference

Program | Speakers | Local Guide | Hotel Info

We are excited to announce an upcoming symposium on “Deaths in Custody" which will be held at the University of Texas in Austin November 14-16, 2024. The convening offers an opportunity for collective reflection by the country’s leading experts on prison and jail conditions on one of the most critical, challenging, and urgent issues in our field.
 
There will be six main sessions. The first session is focused on “Data Transparency about Deaths in Confinement,” and examines how we can ensure accuracy and completeness in the reporting of deaths in custody. The second panel asks “Why are People Dying in Prisons and Jails?” and offers some in-depth analyses of the available data. The third session provides lightning talks by investigative journalists about their reporting on deaths in custody, drawing from a wide range of media outlets all over the country. Our fourth panel focuses on “Investigating Deaths in Custody,” asking who should conduct these investigations and what kinds of questions need to be examined. The fifth panel provides a sobering look at “The Ripple Effects of Deaths in Custody and Secondary Trauma,” and highlights the impact these deaths have on family members, fellow incarcerated people, and correctional staff. And finally, the sixth session looks at “Prevention Through Operational Changes and Policy Reform,” with some short- and long-term strategies for reducing the numbers of deaths in prisons and jails. We will also hold several break-out discussion groups where participants can choose to join colleagues for more in-depth conversations to address these issues.

We are also thrilled to have two incredible keynote speakers at the conference. Prof. Andrea Armstrong, who directs Loyola University New Orleans College of Law’s IncarcerationTransparency.org and is a 2023 MacArthur “Genius” Award Fellow, will give our opening keynote. And Linda Franks, who founded Fair Fight Initiative in the wake of the horrifying death of her son in a Louisiana jail, will offer inspiring remarks about turning her personal tragedy into a fight for racial justice and equality. We have assembled an incredible group of speakers to lead our discussion of these issues, and there will be tremendous expertise among our audience participants as well. Our speakers and participants will include: oversight practitioners; medical professionals; researchers; people with lived experience; journalists; advocates; corrections officials; academics; litigators; and more. 

**THE CONFERENCE IS NOW FULL TO CAPACITY. Join the waitlist. **

Overview of schedule:

All events to be held at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, Univ. of Texas

Thursday, November 14th

4:30pm               Registration opens

5:15—6:30pm    Keynote Address

Friday, November 15th

8:15am               Registration and breakfast

9am—5pm        Sessions 1-4 (lunch included)

5—6pm              Reception

Saturday, November 16th

8:15am               Breakfast

9am—1pm        Sessions 5—6 (lunch included)

1—3pm              Breakout Sessions/Workshops/Closing Session