Prisons and Drug Policy Forum to be held at Scranton

      The Pennsylvania Prison Society will hold a public forum on Prisons and Drug Policy: the Need for Change at The University of Scranton on Wednesday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to noon in Collegiate Hall of Redington Hall. The forum is free of charge.

      According to The Pennsylvania Prison Society, the purpose of the forum is to facilitate discussion and inform the public, including policy makers, about a sensible and cost-effective alternative to punishment and incarceration as a solution to drug use.

      Panelists are Kevin McLaughlin, executive director of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service, Inc.; Attorney Frank J. Bolock Jr. of Scranton; and Judge Michael Barrasse, Lackawanna County. William DiMascio, executive director of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, will serve as moderator.

      In addition to Scranton, forums were also held in Chambersburg and Pittsburgh. The final forum will be held in Harrisburg on May 28.

      Support for this project is provided by a grant from the Drug Policy Alliance. 

      For additional information about the April 28 forum, contact Harry Dammer, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Criminal Justice Department at The University of Scranton, at 941-5853.