AU to host Connecting 4 Justice International Conference on Sept. 18-20

Joe Lyons • August 19, 2024

Ashland University is excited to serve as this year’s host of the 16th annual Connecting 4 Justice International Conference, which will examine the challenges and successes for transitioning out of prison and back to families and communities. It will take place on AU’s campus over a three-day period from Wednesday, Sept. 18, to Friday, Sept. 20, and the theme is “Conversations, Collaboration and Community.”

The event, formerly named the InterNational Prisoners Family Conference, is a collaboration between AU and The Ridge Project. It is intended to generate conversation on how to continue bridging the gaps in the carceral system and is geared towards anyone eager to gain knowledge—professional or personal—to take action to enhance the well-being and future success of justice-impacted persons transitioning to homes and communities.

Attendees at previous conferences have included formerly incarcerated individuals, addictions counselors, attorneys, faith-based organizations, criminal justice personnel, health care providers, mental health professionals, social service agencies, educators, government officials and many more.

Expert speakers and panelists will discuss topics such as the importance of family and challenges faced by those at home while a loved one is incarcerated and during return, the value of higher education in corrections and key reentry services through department of corrections, not-for-profit organizations and other social support agencies.

“This work, to provide pathways for reunification with families and communities, to attain educational degrees and training, and to pave clear connections to economically sustaining careers and employment, can only be achieved through the conversation and collaboration of many organizations and agencies … a quilt coming together with a common goal,” commented Jim Cox, assistant vice president of correctional education at AU.

There are a broad range of presentations and workshops being finalized. One of the highlights will be a keynote address by author and ethical leadership expert Chuck Gallagher. His keynote, “Victim or Victor,” centers on the importance of embracing a future where one is not defined by their past but empowered by their choices.

Today, Gallagher is a vice president of sales and marketing for American Funeral Financial and also the president of Ethics Resource Group, but he was previously convicted of embezzlement and tax evasion. He will present valuable lessons of his personal journey from incarceration to ethical leadership by illustrating the unique challenges of re-entry and providing the audience with tools and strategies to navigate this transition with confidence.

Another featured speaker will be Ashland alum Perry Holloway ’79. A managing partner of schoolman101.com, Holloway is committed to justice reform as he develops initiatives aimed at preventing young people from entering the prison pipeline and advocates for legislative changes to reduce the prison population. His presentation, “From Mass Incarceration to Decarceration,” will look at policies that seek to reduce incarceration and promote alternatives to imprisonment.

Also, Oscar McKnight, Ph.D., the director of AU’s Psychological Counseling Services, will be presenting “A Qualitative Examination of Life, Career and Educational Expectations.” McKnight is a seasoned mental health professional with more than 30 years of experience in counseling and administration with a focus on formerly incarcerated/justice-involved persons.

For more information, visit prisonersfamilyconference.org or email info@prisonersfamilyconference.org.