THE CALL FOR 2025 PRESENTATIONS OPENS SOON

Healing Inside Out

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2025 Date to be Announced

CALL FOR SPEAKERS

Call for Presentations: Connecting 4 Justice Conference

We invite you to submit a proposal to present at the Connecting 4 Justice Conference. Below, you’ll find the guidelines and areas of interest to help you determine whether your presentation aligns with the conference themes.

Tracks:

• Community Challenges in Transition
• Families and Youth
• Advocacy
• Education

Areas of Interest:

1. Prisoner’s Family Perspective
   Presentations addressing issues specific to incarcerated or returning family members, emphasizing maintaining and strengthening family bonds throughout and after incarceration.
2. Community Perspective
   Presentations showcasing best-practice programs, organizations, and resources that support the unique needs of the entire prison family—from arrest through incarceration and community reintegration to family reunification.
3. Legal Perspective
   Presentations focused on effective resources and strategies for building cooperative, trauma-informed relationships with criminal justice representatives (attorneys, judges, prison/jail personnel, government officials) to minimize harm for all affected by incarceration.
4. Faith-Based Perspective
   Presentations exploring what is working (and what is not) in spiritually grounding and sustaining the prison family during and after incarceration.
5. Health Perspective (Mental & Medical)
   Presentations on issues affecting the mental and physical health of incarcerated individuals and their families, both during and after incarceration.
6. Advocacy and Organizing
   Presentations offering guidance on how to bring about positive change, reduce trauma, and improve the quality of life for all affected by incarceration.
7. Special Issues
   Presentations that address unique challenges impacting those affected by incarceration, such as:
   • Sensitivity to victims
   • Substance abuse/addiction
   • Sex offenders and their families
   • Gang involvement
   • Female offenders
   • Self-care
   • Fundraising, marketing, and social media/technology issues

Presenter Formats:

• Experiential Sessions
  Interactive, hands-on activities designed to engage participants and provide an immersive learning or networking experience.
• Plenary Sessions
  Main sessions that typically involve all conference attendees. These sessions address broad themes and showcase keynote speakers.
• Panel Discussion
  A platform for engaging discussions and diverse perspectives on relevant topics.
• Single or Double Presenter Workshops
  Workshops led by either one or two presenters, offering valuable insights and interactive learning.

To Submit a Presentation for Consideration:

Please carefully read and follow all guidelines. Failure to follow the guidelines may result in disqualification.

Special Note for Presenter Applicants:

In cases where we receive multiple strong submissions on a similar topic, we may offer the opportunity for applicants to collaborate on a joint presentation. If you are open to working with others or participating in a panel, please let us know.

Presentation Selection Criteria:

The Connecting 4 Justice Committee will evaluate all proposals based on the following criteria:

• Overall quality of the proposal
• Relevance to the conference mission and themes
• Well-defined focus within the program track structure
• Practical applicability of the content
• Timeliness and importance of the topic
• Speaker qualifications

Presenter Registration:

All presenters must register for the conference and submit the registration fee, which includes a reduced rate for presenters. The registration confirms your participation in the conference program. Please note that we are unable to offer any form of remuneration for presenters. We seek speakers and facilitators who are passionate, knowledgeable, and committed to supporting and serving the prison family community.

Presenters are strongly encouraged to attend the full conference, and the registration fee is non-refundable, as a portion of the fee supports prison family member scholarships.

Submission Deadline:

June 1, 2025

Be sure to read and follow the guidelines carefully. Submit your application online by following the link at the top of this page.

For questions or assistance, please email us at [email protected] or call us at (915) 861-7733.