The department of Criminal Justice would like to invite the UHD community to a symposium, Jan. 22, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the University of Houston. The daylong symposium will provide information and insights into critical "pre-trial" aspects of the criminal justice system with an eye toward procedural and policy reform.

The symposium titled, "Police, Jails, and Vulnerable People: New Strategies for Confronting Today's Challenges," brings together criminal justice professionals to focus upon best practices in policing, pretrial diversion and detention, and jail safety, particularly as they relate to persons with vulnerabilities such as physical and mental health issues.

State Sen. John Whitmire, chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee with oversight of the adult and juvenile criminal justice systems, will be the keynote speaker. Attendees will receive 6.25 hours of CLE credit, including 1.25 hours of ethics credit. Peace officers are eligible to receive six hours of TCOLE credit (reported through UHD's Criminal Justice Center; organized by Rex White, director of the UHD Criminal Justice Center). Barbara Belbot, Ph.D., chair of the UHD department of criminal justice will serve as an advisory board member.

The symposium is hosted by The Criminal Justice Institute and Health Law & Policy Institute at the University of Houston Law Center, in conjunction with the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and several other institutions, including the University of Houston-Downtown's department of Criminal Justice.

The program will be held at Student Center South - Theater in room 103 at 4100 University Drive. For more information, visit the University of Houston Law Center.

Seating is limited, so registration is highly recommended. Click here to register.