FLAC’s 8th Dave Ellis Memorial Lecture

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FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres Ltd) invited renowned US public interest lawyer BRYAN STEVENSON to speak at this year’s Dave Ellis Memorial Lecture. Mr STEVENSON’s speech brought home some very powerful points about justice in the US that have great relevance for us here in Ireland.

The justice and imprisonment statistics in the US are disheartening to hear. With 2.3 million people in prison, the USA can proudly boast that even though it has only 5% of the world’s population, it has 25% of the world’s prisoners. In America today there are 68 million people who are forced to report that they have a criminal record in job applications. This out of a population of 280 million. There are 640% more women in prison today than there were 15 years ago. One in three black males can expect to spend at least some time in gaol. These can be for crimes as minor as bouncing a cheque, or possessing marijuana.

“You must struggle, fight, and protect justice, or there will be injustices…” says Mr Stevenson in this fascinating and sometimes shocking lecture.

http://www.flac.ie

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