The Institute of International Relations, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, will host the “14^th International Conference on Penal Abolition” from June 13^th to 15^th 2012. As the country marks its 50^th year of independence, the conference, which is being held for the first time in Trinidad & Tobago, presents an ideal time to re-think institutions, examine assumptions, and explore new ideas on developing a just society. 

The theme for this three-day conference is ‘Inspiring Abolition: Strengthening Ourselves for Local/Global Influence.’ The first day will focus on Justice, Law and Abolition. On the second day, Violence, Punishment and Peacemaking will be addressed and on the third day, the discussion will move inside the prison space to exchange ideas and hear from that community and its associates. The first two sessions are held at The UWI, St. Augustine Campus and the last session will be held at the Prison Service Conference Centre, Arouca, Trinidad, where current prisoners will be encouraged to participate through videos, Skype and written contributions. 

Keynote speakers at this year’s ICOPA conference will be Professor Vincenzo Ruggiero, Professor of Sociology at the Middlesex University in London and Professor Hal Pepinsky, Professor of Criminal Justice at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Participants at the Conference include academics, community activists, government ministers, students, former prisoners, NGOs, members of the judiciary, and others. Applicants are invited to submit abstracts and conference papers on the themes or on related areas of interest and are welcome to contribute in workshop sessions and panels. Interested persons can register at ICOPA_14@hotmail.com. The deadline date for registration and abstracts is Friday 11^th May and Monday 4^th June for conference papers/presentations.

For further information, visit the conference website at http://sta.uwi.edu/conferences/12/icopa/index.asp or contact Dr. Anthony Gonzales at Anthony.P.Gonzales@sta.uwi.edu or icopa_14@hotmail.com or at (868) 662-2002 Ext 82011.