Thursday, January 21, 2016

Press Release: An Evening with Van Jones

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Barbara Richards, Director, Project 180   
850-445-5682 
or: Adam Tebrugge
adam@tebruggelegal.com

Van Jones to Speak About US Criminal Justice System Reform
Sarasota, FL (January 13, 2016) – On Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 7:30 PM, the Hermann & Sally Boxser Diversity Initiative and Project 180 will present Van Jones, nationally acclaimed CNN political analyst and leader in the movement for criminal justice reform, at Sainer Hall on the New College campus.

As the head of #cut50, a national bipartisan initiative, Jones advocates a safe and smart reduction of the incarcerated population in the US by 50 percent over the next ten years, contending that “Reliance on excessively long sentences and the incarceration of low-level offenders is both morally indefensible and economically unjustifiable.”  At a time when families are homeless and schoolchildren go hungry, America spends $80 billion every year on the incarceration industry—an expense that has a devastating impact on individuals, communities and society as a whole.

Barbara Richards, Executive Director of Project 180, applauds the work of Van Jones and says, “Our current criminal justice system negatively impacts the life course of offenders and their families, strains public budgets and has limited resources to provide the whole-life rehabilitative services offenders need to succeed.”

The evening’s proceeds will benefit Project 180 and the Boxser Diversity Initiative. For tickets and more information see https://goo.gl/qY4uCr or contact Barbara Richards at 941-677-2281.

The Boxser Diversity Initiative, based in Sarasota, promotes diversity programs throughout Southwest Florida by partnering with like-minded organizations in the presentation of speakers and programs promoting diversity and inclusion.

Project 180 (www.project180reentry.org), a Sarasota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a prisoner reentry program. Project 180 seeks to reintegrate former offenders into community life by providing practical educational programs in Gulf Coast prisons and jails and by offering an annual lecture series on reentry for the public.

Event Details:
Who: Van Jones
What: Presentation about the Need for US Criminal Justice System Reform
Where: New College Sainer Art & Music Pavilion
5313 Bay Shore Rd Sarasota FL 34243
When: Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 7:30 pm.
Suggested donation $10. Students are free. To obtain tickets: https://goo.gl/qY4uCr

###