Beyond Arrests: Re-Thinking Systematic Oppression is a student network for criminal justice reform. The mission of BARS is to start a national conversation about criminal justice reform among university students, highlighting the expansiveness of the carceral state through a focus on its intersections with race, gender, and socioeconomic status.

The second annual BARS Conference this year will take place virtually over a two day weekend. The larger theme of the conference will be focused on prison abolition, and what our country would look like if we defund and demilitarize our police systems. We will flesh out what the difference is between reform and abolition. We will focus on the Black Lives Matter protests, how to move forward, and touch on the police free movement within public and private education, including policefreepenn.


If you are interested in joining the planning committee, please fill out the following application. Members of the planning committee will work closely with the BARS board to schedule, coordinate, and execute a spring conference virtually.

Time Commitment:
~1-2 hours/week (Fall)
~3-4 hours/week (Spring)

Qualifications:
Must be a currently enrolled Penn student committed to criminal justice reform.