The Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative invites you to a Community Conversation on June 13 at the Riverfront Community Center on Juvenile Justice Reform. This free event will begin with a reception at 6:30 and a panel discussion will follow at 7:00. Registration will be provided at the door.

For those who prefer to participate virtually, this event will also be available via a Zoom Webinar. Registration is required. To register, go to the following URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2916516702385/WN_tLJWd6wVSfCumwejKwBjMA.

Or visit GMLKCI’s webpage at www.glastonburymlkci.org and click on “Register”.

Panelists for this Conversation include: 

Christina Quaranta, the Executive Director of the Connecticut Justice Alliance (CTJA), a youth-adult partnership public policy and advocacy organization located in Bridgeport. CTJA's mission is to end the criminalization of youth. She will provide an overview of her work in advocating for legal system reform that recognizes youth, families and communities as the most important stakeholders. More broadly, she is committed to dismantling systemic racism across Connecticut so all people can be free to realize their potential. Christina holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Southern Connecticut State University and a master's degree in Public Administration, with a concentration in nonprofit management from Fairfield University. 

Jason Doucette who is in his 2nd term representing Manchester and Glastonbury in the Connecticut House of Representatives District 13. Jason played an active role in discussions on juvenile justice reform over the past few years helping to build consensus on the Judiciary Committee and within the House Democratic caucus for the recent legislation and judicial reforms. Jason will update us on legislation related to juvenile justice. Jason also serves as the House Chair of the Banking Committee and is a member of the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee and the Judiciary Committee. Jason is an attorney with the firm of Gagliardi Doucette. He is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and University of Connecticut School of Law. 

Ken Barone is a Project Manager with the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP) at University of Connecticut where he manages the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project. Ken will review current data and provide a perspective on state and national trends as they relate to crime and some understanding of the judicial system and the impact of legislation. Ken is responsible for staffing the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Advisory Board and is the legislative liaison for the project with the Connecticut General Assembly. He has provided assistance to the Juvenile Jurisdiction Policy and Operations Coordinating Council, the Connecticut Re-entry Roundtable Collaborative, and the Children of Incarcerated Parent’s initiative.

Warren Hardy is a dedicated youth development professional and street mediator. Warren will speak about his work to engage and interact with youth and young adults in overlooked and neglected communities. He gained street knowledge in the early 90’s from within one of Hartford’s notorious gangs, “20 Love.” Upon his early release from a 12-year prison sentence for racketeering and gang affiliation in 2000, Warren changed his life and mentality from a negative to a positive, committing the rest of his life to the service of spreading a message of empowerment and ending community violence. Warren holds a B.A. in Human Services from Springfield College and is founder and CEO of H.Y.P.E. (Helping Young People Evolve).

Marshall S. Porter is the Chief of Police in Glastonbury, appointed in November 2017. Chief Porter will speak about local efforts to address crime and public safety and to support community partnerships. Chief Porter has been a police officer since 1989, previously serving in the Farmington, Winchester, New Hartford, and Harwinton Police Departments where he held the ranks of Narcotics Detective, Corporal, Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, and Lieutenant. He has represented the Connecticut Police Chiefs’ Association on the Private Security Committee, the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee, and the Governor’s Sexual Assault Kit Working Group. He is the current Capital Region Chiefs of Police Association President and sits on the Connecticut Police Chiefs’ Association Board of Directors.

Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, an investigative reporter with Connecticut Public’s Accountability Project, will serve as the Conversation moderator. She has won two national awards (2012 and 2020) for investigative reporting from the Education Writers Association as well as investigative awards from the New England Newspaper & Press Association in 2019 and 2020. Jacqueline’s reporting has appeared in ProPublica, Mother Jones, Long Reads, and daily newspapers across Connecticut. She received an undergraduate degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University and a master’s in public policy from Trinity College. She has also taught at the University of Connecticut’s School of Business.

The Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative’s mission is to increase knowledge about, and understanding of, the philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King, and to provide leadership and active engagement to build an inclusive community. The goal of the GMLKCI Community Conversations program is to engage residents of Glastonbury and surrounding towns in conversations about social justice issues and to inspire service and action. Our panelists will provide both a starting point and a resource for what we hope will be an inspiring, lively, informative, and thought-provoking conversation.