CNN host and activist Van Jones will be the keynote speaker at the Criminal Justice Reform Summitt hosted by Variety and Rolling Stone Magazine. Kim Kardashian West, Meek Mill, and many others will bring the entertainment, philanthropic, advocacy, and policymaking communities together to drive criminal justice reform November 14th in Los Angeles.
The conference will reflect on the failing American criminal justice system and many other organizations will be joining Variety and Rolling Stone in co-hosting the summit, such as the Coalition for Public Safety, the Justice Action Network, #cut50, the Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation, ARC, and One Community LLC.
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Van Jones said in a statement, “Not only do we face a mass incarceration problem in the United States, but almost 60 percent of inmates currently in prison or jail are racial and ethnic minorities. Uncovering the roots of this national issue and creating a diverse advocacy community is a huge step toward generating legitimate policy change.”
Co-Editor In Chief of Variety Magazine, Claudia Eller said, “As leading national publications, Variety and Rolling Stone are responsible for enlisting their platforms to shed light on the need for criminal justice reform. We are excited to create a forum for entertainers to educate the public about such a complex widespread issue alongside philanthropists, activists, and politicians to reshape the current system.”
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Rolling Stone Magazine’s Editor Jason Fine said, “Criminal justice reform has been a key issue for Rolling Stone since the magazine’s early days. Recently we’ve looked at the out-of-control private prison system, how tainted evidence can lead to countless wrongful convictions, and what happens when a vindictive judge uses the parole system to keep one of hip-hop’s biggest stars in jail. We believe that a national effort to bring about criminal justice reform is one of the most important issues of our time.”
Other notable figures that will be in attendance include Fab 5 Freddy, Michael Rubin, Governors John Bel Edwards, Mary Fallin, and Dannel Malloy and actress Allison Williams.
