Van Jones Leads Panel on Criminal Justice Reform at Eccles Center on 1/7

Park City Institute continues its rich tradition of engaging in dialogue on important issues, presenting a panel on Criminal Justice Reform, with Van Jones, January 7 at 7:30 PM. Jones, an attorney who has spent countless hours on CNN as a political commentator, will share his insights on the ways in which the criminal justice system is ineffective and the role it plays in the cycle of inequality in this country.

Appearing with Jones will be Mike Farrell, who may be best known for his work as an actor (M*A*S*H, Promised Land) but has devoted a significant portion of his life to working to end the death penalty-he recently returned to his post as president of Death Penalty Focus after a leave of absence to work on Prop 61 in California. Kirk Bloodsworth will share his insights based on his experience working from prison to prove his innocence. After successfully petitioning to submit DNA evidence not previously presented, he was released, exonerated, pardoned and compensated.

"Park City Institute is proud of our mission to educate the community on critical social issues, such as criminal justice reform. By exploring important topics in a public forum, we hope to elevate the discussion and expand the world-view of our audience," says PCI Executive Director Teri Orr. "The Utah Legislature is about to convene, and it's expected that two bills-one to expedite the death penalty process and one to repeal it-will be presented during this session. It's critical to our state and national dialogue that we examine capital punishment."

The evening will include Q&A, and with an audience expected to include members of Utah Bar Association, the NAACP, state and local government, area universities and law enforcement, there should be a wide-ranging discussion on the implications of the current criminal justice system and the impact of reform.

About the experts:

Van Jones is a Yale-educated attorney and a former White House policy advisor. He is the author of two New York Times best-selling books, The Green Collar Economy (2008) and Rebuild the Dream (2012). Most recently, he has been a prominent political commentator on CNN, and hosted the special "The Messy Truth," examining citizens feelings about the 2016 Presidential Election. He is a co-founder of #Cut50, an organization aiming to cut the American prison population by 50 percent over the next decade.

Mike Farrell is the president of Death Penalty Focus. He has been working toward the abolishment of the death penalty for four decades. He was the author of Prop 62 a 2016 ballot measure that sought to end capital punishment in California, which lost by a margin of 53.1 percent to 46.8 percent. "It means we have to start over," he said. "We haven't reached enough people yet."

Kirk Bloodsworth is a honorably discharged former Marine. He is the first person in the United States exonerated from death row by DNA testing. He has been a tireless activist and advocate for other death row inmates since his release. He works with the Innocence Project to raise awareness and help empower the wrongly convicted to seek exoneration.

Watch video clips of Van Jones on Criminal Justice Reform here: http://www.vanjones.net/criminal_justice_videos

See Kirk Bloodsworth tell his story, here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjAOw-n3CxQ

Watch Mike Farrell discuss why he wrote Prop 62 in effort to abolish the death penalty in Californai, herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_0I6Ct-7A

Tickets to the Criminal Justice Reform Panel with Van Jones are available at ecclescenter.org, or by calling the box office at 435-655-3114.

Park City Institute is a non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing world-class performances and new ideas to the community. Since 1998, PCI has presented internationally renowned and cutting edge musicians, actors, authors, comedians, dancers, speakers and film at The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center for the Performing Arts (a joint-use facility with the Park City School District). The organization will embark on its 14th season of headliner concerts at Deer Valley Resort next summer. PCI is dedicated to introducing young people to the arts through free student outreach workshops, shows and demonstrations. Since 2010, PCI has offered a free after-school literacy program to students in grades one through 12 at the thinky and fun retail-fronted tutoring hub, the Mega-Genius Supply Store and IQ HQ (located at 435 Swede Alley in Old Town). The organization continues to illuminate with Curiosities evenings and the Saints and Sinners Ball.

ENTERTAINING, EDUCATING AND ILLUMINATING SINCE 1998

Park City Institute 2016-17 Main Stage Season at the Eccles Center :

January 13, 2017 Jessica Lang Dance

February 4. 2017 Fran Lebowitz

February 18, 2017 Storm Large

February 21-22, 2017 Cirque Eloize

February 24-25, 2017 Alvin Ailey Dance Company II

March 4, 2017 Lidia Yuknavitch

March 11, 2017 Jeff Corwin

March 18, 2017 Ballet West

March 25, 2017 Taj Majal

April 1, 2017 SERIAL: Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder

April 8, 2017 John McEuen

April 15, 2017 Nellie McKay