Strengthening Criminal Justice Advocacy:

How to Use the International Human Rights System

April 30, 2004

American University Washington College of Law

Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

4910 Massachusetts Avenue

Washington, D.C. 20016

| Press Release |

On April 30, 2004, the Center for Human Rights co-sponsored a conference on using international human rights standards to strengthen criminal justice advocacy in the United States. The conference was designed to train advocates in the fundamentals of strategically applying international human rights standards and mechanisms to U.S. domestic criminal justice policy, and included an overview of international human rights standards and norms, specific case studies and strategies, and a panel exploring methods to build constituencies for incorporating international human rights in the US criminal justice system. In addition, there were interactive lunch-time discussions on a range of applied issues and themes including the death penalty, juvenile justice, reforming prison conditions and more .

AGENDA
8:30am - 9:00am	Registration and Breakfast
9:00am - 9:20am	Welcome
	Dean Claudio Grossman, American University Washington College of Law (AU WCL) Stephen Rickard, Open Society Institute
9:20am - 10:45am	Why International Human Rights?
	Gay McDougall, Global Rights Laura Murphy, American Civil Liberties Union Prof. Herman Schwartz, AU WCL Moderator: Alvin Bronstein, Penal Reform International
10:45am - 11:00am	Break
11:00am - 12:30pm	A Road Map Through the International System: What Does the Human Rights Framework Have to Offer?
	Jenni Gainsborough, Penal Reform International Hadar Harris, AU WCL Center for Human Rights Margaret Huang, Global Rights Moderator: Deborah Robinson, International Possibilities Unlimited
12:30pm - 2:00pm	Working Lunch - Expert-Moderated Thematic Lunch Tables
	Death Penalty Richard Dieter, Death Penalty Info. Center Rachel King, ACLU Prison Conditions Pat Allard, Brennan Center for Justice Prof. Brenda Smith, AU WCL Juvenile Justice Jenni Gainsborough, PRI Bonnie Kerness, AFSC Racial Profiling/Discrimination LaShawn Warren, ACLU Prof. Muneer Ahmed, AU WCL Immigration/Detention Timothy Edgar, ACLU Steven Watt, CCR Criminal Defense & Sentencing Cait Clarke, NLADA Nkechi Taifa, OSI Collateral Consequences of Incarceration Marc Mauer, The Sentencing Project Charlie Sullivan, CURE Trafficking in Human Beings Ann Jordan, Global Rights Martina Vadenberg, Jenner & Block
2:00pm - 3:30pm	Specific Strategies and Case Studies
	Jotaka Eaddy, National Coalition Against the Death Penalty Deborah LaBelle, Attorney Elisa Massimino, Human Rights First Prof. Richard J. Wilson, AU WCL Moderator: Nkechi Taifa, Open Society Institute
3:30pm - 3:45pm	Break
3:45pm - 5:30pm	Building a Constituency for Human Rights in Criminal Justice
	Using the Media: Ben Jealous, Amnesty International Finding Funding and Outreach: Dorothy Thomas, Consultant, JEHT Foundation Creating Campaigns: Wendy Patten, Human Rights Watch Training Lawyers and Judges: Ann Beeson, ACLU Moderator: Tonya McClary, AFSC
5:30pm - 6:00pm	Wrap Up and Next Steps

| Contact Information for Conference Organizers |