Beyond the Book: A discussion about mass incarceration and criminal justice reform

“An American Marriage” by Tayari Jones is the focus of a community read program presented by Aspen Words and Pitkin County Library. The novel, which won the 2019 Aspen Words Literary Prize, tells the story of a man unjustly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and the impact this has on his family. A panel of legal experts will go beyond the book to explore why the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, what types of criminal justice reform are taking place today and what work still needs to be done, both on a national level and here in our community. Panelists: Meryl Chertoff, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Justice and Society program Anne-Marie Moyes, director of Korey Wise Innocent Project at University of Colorado Jennifer Wherry, director of Alpine Legal Services Moderator: Chris Bryan, attorney at Garfield & Hecht