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Justice 101 Tackles Policing in America, Navigating the 4th Amendment, Stop and Frisk, and Civil Rights

-- The May 13 program features guest speakers David Rudovsky and Vincent Warren and marks the final installment of the inaugural series --

May 1, 2024

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site (ESPHS) marks the fifth and final program of its inaugural series of Justice 101, a virtual, educational program that makes criminal justice issues accessible to all learners, with a discussion about policing in America. The free event takes place on Zoom at 1:00 p.m. E.T. on Monday, May 13, 2024.

The May program, titled Policing in America: Navigating the 4th Amendment, Stop and Frisk, and Civil Rights, aims to foster a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics shaping the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Hosted by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site’s President & CEO Dr. Kerry Sautner, the discussion also features David Rudovsky, one of the nation’s leading civil rights and criminal defense attorneys, and Vincent Warren, Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and leading expert on racial injustice and discriminatory policing. Together, they will examine the intersections of the Fourth Amendment, stop-and-frisk practices, and the protection of Civil Rights, fostering a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities within contemporary policing.

Justice 101 debuted January 2024 and has delivered monthly programs addressing such topics as forced prison labor, civil rights movements in prison, the rise of female incarceration rates in America, and First Amendment rights in prison. The inaugural season culminates with the May 13 program on policing, before taking a summer hiatus and returning this fall with a new slate of programming.

“As policing has come under intense public scrutiny in recent years, people often wonder what ‘stop and frisk’ really means, whether it’s constitutional, whether it makes our communities safer, and how it impacts our civil liberties and our justice system overall,” says Dr. Kerry Sautner, President & CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. “Here at Eastern State, we are committed to fostering open discussions about these complex topics, and I’m pleased to welcome our special guests David Rudovsky and Vincent Warren who can help us unpack this timely and important issue.”

Justice 101: Policing in America: Navigating the 4th Amendment, Stop and Frisk, and Civil Rights takes place Monday, May 13, at 1:00 p.m. ET on Zoom. The program is free and open to all. For more information and to register, visit EasternState.org/Justice101.

About the Speakers:

  • David Rudovsky (he/him), one of the nation’s leading civil rights and criminal defense attorneys, practices public interest law with the firm of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg & Lin, LLP. He became a Senior Fellow at Penn University's Carey Law School in 1988 and teaches courses in Criminal Law, Constitutional Criminal Procedure, and Evidence. He is co-author of Police Misconduct: Law and Litigation and The Law of Arrest, Search, and Seizure in Pennsylvania.
  • Vincent Warren (he/him) is a leading expert on racial injustice and discriminatory policing and is the executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights. He oversees the organization's groundbreaking litigation and advocacy work. Under his leadership, the Center for Constitutional Rights successfully challenged the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy and profiling of Muslims, ended long-term solitary confinement in California’s Pelican Bay Prison, and established the persecution of LGBTQIA people as a crime against humanity.

About Justice 101:
Justice 101 is a new series by the Center for Justice Education at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. Each virtual program examines the history of the justice system in America, from its founding to today, and the impact it has on society, citizens, and the world. Once a month, Eastern State staff invite special guests to foster dialogue about a different topic in criminal justice. Justice 101 programs are free, take place virtually via Zoom, and last 45 minutes: a 30-minute program followed by a 15-minute Q&A. Guests can tune in live, or watch the programs back anytime on YouTube.

Upcoming Justice 101 Programs:
- May 13, 1:00 pm ET - Policing in America: Navigating the 4th Amendment, Stop and Frisk, and Civil Rights

Previous Justice 101 Program:
- September 2023 - The 8th Amendment: Cruel and Unusual Punishment
- January 2024 - Conversation on Civil Rights Movements within Prisons
- February 2024 - Does the First Amendment Apply in Prisons?
- March 2024 - Women Behind Bars: Why Is Incarceration of Women on the Rise?
- April 2024 - Exploring the 13th Amendment and the Persistence of Forced Labor in Prisons

The inaugural season culminates with the May 13 program on policing, before taking a summer hiatus and returning this fall with a new slate of programming.

Justice 101 is designed for learners of all ages. For more information, visit EasternState.org/Justice101.

About Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site:
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site interprets the legacy of American criminal justice reform, from the nation’s founding through to the present day, within the long-abandoned cellblocks of the nation’s most historic prison.

For more information, visit EasternState.org and follow Eastern State Penitentiary on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, and Tik Tok.

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Post This!
LAST CHANCE to experience #Justice101 before the summer hiatus! Join @EasternState Penitentiary on May 13 at 1 pm ET for a conversation about policing tactics, ft. special guests David Rudovsky and Vincent Warren. Learn more and register: https://www.easternstate.org/visit/events/justice-101-policing-america-navigating-4th-amendment-stop-and-frisk-and-civil-rights

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