Criminal Justice Messaging and Framing

Messaging and framing guidance on tough criminal justice issues

2015–present

A neccessary component of my research has been studying messaging for tough criminal justice issues. For some time, I have been a missionary for the cause of strategic communications, badgering grassroots organizers, criminal justice advocates, and civil rights litigators in Chicago and around the country to adopt "persuasive narrative framing."

Understanding how criminal justice issues can and must be reframed is critical to changing policy, and the effect would be maximized if everyone would do it together. I therefore spend a lot of time giving lectures and media trainings to advocates and attorneys, as well as formerly-incarcerated people and family members. In the past year I was invited to speak to nearly every grassroots group in the country doing organized work on registry laws, and I spoke at most of them.

Over the years I have used media firms, studied research on persuasion, and even visited focus groups. But I learned the most from and worked most extensively with the Opportunity Agenda, where I was a Communications Fellow. I have since developed messaging guidance and numerous trainings specifcally for registry and banishment issues, each divided into “instructional units." These can last from 1 to 4 hours. This past year, I further modified the presentations with visual learners in mind, replacing a lot of text-based explanations so they are more accessible to people at all literacy levels.

These are slides for a communications lecture for visual learners.

RECENT TRAININGS OR LECTURES ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE MESSAGING (selected)

2019

Chair, Communications Working Group, Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource Center, Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Chair monthly meetings in messaging and framing for high-impact litigators.

Lecture, “Framing and Messaging for Long-Term Policy Goals,” Illinois Criminal Justice Advocates Group, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, Chicago, Mar. 14

Training, “Messaging About Public Conviction Registries and Housing Banishment Laws,” Work Group on Conviction Registries, Gallery 400 Lecture Room, University of Illinois at Chicago, Jan. 12, Feb. 9, Mar. 16, Mar. 17. Designed and facilitated four day-long sessions for formerly convicted people who are homeless.

2018

Lecture, “Errors of Persuasion and Classification: Communications Training for High-Impact Litigators,” Convening: Strengthening Our Litigation Challenge To “Regulatory” Sex-Offense Laws, Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource Center, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Dec. 11

Board Training, “Next Steps in California Legislative Advocacy,” Board of Directors Meeting, Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws, Los Angeles, Dec. 1

Presentation, “Testifying, Lobbying, and Building Strategic Alliances,” Women Against the Registry Conference, St. Louis MO, Aug. 19

Featured Address, “Reframing our Message,” Women Against the Registry Conference, St. Louis MO, Aug. 17

Keynote Lecture, “Myths of Fact and Errors of Persuasion: The Aesthetics of Advocacy,” Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws Conference, Southwestern Law School, Los Angeles, Jun. 15

Presentation, “Case Studies in Building Strategic Alliances,” National Association for Rational Sex Offense Laws National Conference, Independence OH, Jun. 9.

Presentation, “Messaging and Framing for Difficult Criminal Justice Issues,” National Association for Rational Sex Offense Laws National Conference, Independence OH, Jun. 8.

2017

Webinar, “Framing and Messaging About Public Conviction Registries,” Illinois Voices for Reform, Sept. 13. Designed training; presented with Will Mingus.

Webinar, “Advancing Advocacy—Messaging and Strategic Alliances,” National Association for Rational Sex Offense Laws, Jun. 27. Designed training; presented with Will Mingus.

Presentation, “Messaging and Strategic Alliances,” National Association for Rational Sex Offense Laws National Conference, Atlanta, Jun. 3-4. Designed training; presented with Will Mingus.

Panelist, “Sex Offense Law & Policy: Storytelling, Messaging, and Media,” Soros Justice Fellowships Annual Conference, Detroit MI, Aug. 1

Training, “Theory and Practice: Framing and Messaging About Public Conviction Registries,” Work Group on Conviction Registries, Gallery 400 Lecture Room, University of Illinois at Chicago, Mar. 11, 12, 18, 24, 25; Apr. 8. Designed and facilitated training sessions for advocates and formerly convicted people.

Panelist, “Art and Civic Strategy: Recognizing the Capacity of Arts and Culture to Bring Us Closer to the Society We Want to See,” Joyce Foundation Culture Convening Series in the Great Lakes, Chicago, Feb. 24. Angel Ysaguirre, Executive Director of Illinois Humanities, with Ricardo Gamboa, Ayesha Jaco, and Jennifer Scott.

2016

Session organizer and panelist, “Workshop in Messaging about Registries,” The Registry 20 Years Later, Jane Addams Hull House Museum, University of Illinois at Chicago, Nov. 19

2015

Session co-chair and panelist, “Decarceration Dilemmas: Tough Issues in Shrinking the Prison System,” Soros Justice Fellowships Annual Conference, Baltimore, Jul. 20