Media Advisory for:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Contact: Jessica Smith â 202-228-5185
Thursday, June 11, 2007, 3:00pm                    Kimberly Hunter â 202-228-5258
*** LIVE WEBCAST: 3:00PM, THURSDAY ***
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing Scheduled on
Webb Bill to Overhaul Americaâs Criminal Justice System
National Criminal Justice Commission Act charges comprehensive
 review of system, concrete solutions for reform
Washington, DC â On Thursday, June 11, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs will hold a hearing on Senator Webbâs legislation to comprehensively review and reform the nationâs criminal justice system. The hearing entitled âExploring the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009,â will host a number of experts in the field to discuss the need for such legislation. Senator Webb will participate in the hearing.
On March 26, Webb introduced S.714 to create a blue-ribbon commission charged with conducting an 18-month, top-to-bottom review of the nationâs entire criminal justice system and offering concrete recommendations for reform. The legislation has received widespread bipartisan support and has 29 cosponsors in the Senate, including Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Ranking Member Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Judiciary Committee member Senator Orrin G Hatch (R-UT).
In the 110th Congress, Webb chaired two hearings of the Joint Economic Committee that examined various aspects of the criminal justice system. In October of 2008, he conducted a symposium on drugs in America at George Mason University Law Center.
The hearing will be webcast online at the Senate Judiciary Committee website. The watch live, please go to: http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=3906
WHAT: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs Hearing: âExploring the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009â
WHEN: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Thursday, June 11th, at 3:00pm
WHERE: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC
                                   Or online at: http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=3906
WITNESSES: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Pat Nolan, Vice President, Prison Fellowship
Chief William Bratton, Los Angeles Police Department
Professor Charles J. Ogletree, Harvard Law School
Brian W. Walsh, Senior Legal Research Fellow, Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, The Heritage Foundation
For background materials on Senator Webbâs legislation, please visit: Â http://webb.senate.gov/email/criminaljusticereform.html
For  additional materials or to RSVP, please contact Kimberly Hunter at: [email protected].
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