UNK-The Thirteenth Annual Regional Criminal Justice conference will be held at the University of Nebraska at Kearney on Tuesday, April 10 in Copeland Hall, room 142. The event will feature speakers whose focuses range from the death penalty to school violence.
Opening the conference at 8 a.m., will be the keynote speaker, Dennis M. McCarthy, the director of Safety and Security at Blue Valley United School District and former special agent in charge in the United States Secret Service. McCarthy will be addressing the topic of school violence. Other speakers included in the conference are J. Kirk Brown, assistant attorney general for the state of Nebraska; Dr. Nelson Potter, co-chair of the Nebraskan’s Against the Death Penalty and professor of philosophy at UNL; Jerry Bauerkemper, executive director of the Nebraska Council on Compulsive Gambling; and Raleigh Haas, superintendent of the Work Ethic Camp, Nebraska Department of Corrections. “The theme of the conference is to address crime problems which are important due to their immediacy,” said Dr. James Gilbert, Criminal Justice department chair.
The conference is open to the public with a fee of , and an additional for those who wish to attend the luncheon. The conference will be free of charge to all UNK students and faculty unless they also wish to attend the luncheon which will be . Those who wish to attend the luncheon are required to pre-register and pre-pay by calling the Criminal Justice office at (308) 865-8510 by April 2. Those who just wish to attend the conference may register and pay at the door. A complete schedule is as follows:
8-9:30 a.m. Keynote Address, “School Violence: Causes, Reactions, and Solutions.” Dennis M. McCarthy, director of Safety and Security, Blue Valley United School District, Overland Park, KS, United States Secret Service (retired), formerly Special Agent in Charge, Kansas City, MO.
9:30-9:50 a.m. Break
9:50-10:50 a.m. “The Death Penalty in Nebraska: Justifications for Its Continued Support.” J. Kirk Brown, assistant attorney general, chief, criminal appellate section, Office of the Attorney General, State of Nebraska.
10:50-11 a.m. Break
11-12 noon “The Death Penalty in Nebraska: Justifications for Its Abolishment.” Dr. Nelson Potter, co-chair, Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, professor of philosophy, UNL.
12 noon-1 p.m. Speaker’s Banquet, Cedar Room, Nebraskan Student Union.
1-2 p.m. “Compulsive Gambling: Breaking the Cycle.” Jerry Bauerkemper, executive director, Nebraska Council on Compulsive Gambling.
2-2:15 p.m. Break
2:15-3:15 p.m. “The Work Ethic Concept in Nebraska Corrections.” Raleigh Haas, superintendent, Work Ethic Camp, Nebraska Department of Corrections. .
