2020 CJAB Conference  April 8-9, 2020

"Call for Presenters”

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and the County Commissioner's Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) are pleased to announce that planning is underway for the 2020 Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB) Conference. The conference will be held on April 8-9, 2020 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College, Pennsylvania.

The theme of this year's conference will be emerging trends and best practices that are changing the face of criminal justice. In planning our conferences and events, we evaluate attendee feedback from the previous year to ensure that we provide quality programming based upon the needs and interests of our conference attendees. This year, feedback generally indicated a need for more information in the area of trauma and trauma-informed treatment, mental health and substance abuse programming, technology, re-entry programs and community resources for returning citizens. Therefore, we are seeking presenters and sessions that can offer insight into the innovative programs that are successfully addressing these areas. Preference will be given to proposals highlighting innovative solutions, best practices, and promising approaches with relevant content and experiences. 

Examples of the types of presentations we're seeking are listed below, and is not all-inclusive:

• Effects of traumatic experiences on the brain (including, but not limited to adverse childhood experiences, sexual and physical abuse, substance abuse, etc.);

• Trauma-informed treatment, programming and best practices, both in community and in prison/community supervision;

• Mental health treatment and programming in prison / in lieu of prison;

• Best practices and programs addressing racial and ethnic disparity in the criminal justice system;

• Technology and crime, including technological resources to track/combat crime, as well as the effect of, and nexus between, social media and crime;

• Best practices and community partnerships for returning citizens;

• Community resources for sex offenders, including best practice programming, housing, treatment;

• Juvenile Lifer resources and programs;

• Personal stories/journeys about any of the above.

Our target audience includes law enforcement, courts, probation, corrections, county leaders, behavioral health practitioners and other criminal justice-related professionals and community members. Proposals can include various presentation styles, including one or more speakers, a panel presentation, video(s) or a combination of these or other presentation styles.  Proposed presentations should be either 1.25 hours (75 minutes) or 2.5 hours in duration, with the ability to break down the latter into two segments to be presented consecutively during the breakout block.  Please complete all sections of the attached Call for Presenters application.  

For your proposal to be considered, please complete and submit all materials by Friday, October 11, 2019.  Selected presenters will be notified on or before November 25, 2019.

The deadline for proposal submission is Friday, October 11, 2019.

Submit a proposal for the 2020 CJAB Conference

If you have any content or logistical questions, please feel free to contact Jackie Weaknecht at (717) 265-8498 or by e-mail at jweaknecht@pa.gov.