The goal of the conference was to showcase the best and most promising practices for improving public safety, justice, and fairness in South Carolina. The inaugural conference also served as a launching pad for a collaborative network of data-guided leaders working locally and statewide to improve different parts of South Carolina's criminal justice system.
The conference was hosted by the Charleston CJCC and Charleston Forum with the support of a diverse steering committee of leaders from across South Carolina. Conference co-chairs included CJCC Director, Ellen Steinberg and Charleston Forum Criminal Justice Chair, Kristy Danford (former CJCC director).
Steering Committee MembersLeaders representing various sectors of the criminal justice system from across the state, including the courts, prosecution, defense, law enforcement, corrections, city, county and state leaders, medical/behavioral healthcare and community-based providers, individuals with lived experience, the advocacy community, and subject matter experts were encouraged to attend.
The free conference was held on October 20, 2023, from 8:30AM to 3:00PM at Trident Technical College in North Charleston.
Participants reviewed and discussed system trends and evidence-based opportunities for advancing public safety, justice, and fairness in the Palmetto state. Participants shared progress and challenges, networked with one another, and learned from experts in the field. Participants are also helping to shape growing data-guided collaborative dedicated to improving public safety, justice, and fairness in South Carolina.
The inaugural conference was:Presentations were selected from an open call for proposals and selected based upon a combination of factors such as the degree to which it is research-informed and data-based, reflective of system issues, representative of diverse perspectives and lived experiences, and alignment with the goal of the conference.
Conference Overview Conference Summary