【Detective Archives】

It's a tale of two cities,Detective Archives and two different presidential forums on criminal justice reform.

From Friday to Monday this weekend, contenders in the 2020 presidential election will have the opportunity to speak at two different public forums on mass incarceration.

At one, the 2019 Second Step Presidential Justice Forum, hosted at Benedict College, a historically black college in Columbia, South Carolina, President Trump delivered the keynote address on Friday.

The event derived its name from the passage of the First Step Act, a piece of criminal justice reform legislation passed in 2018 that focused partly on the post-incarceration transition of nonviolent offenders. The First Step Act was a rare instance, in the face of near-constant partisan bickering, in which a piece of legislation received expansive support in the House and Senate from both Republicans and Democrats.

Now, event organizers are asking, "What's the 'Second Step?'"

And they're not the only ones asking.

The Eastern State Penitentiary, a former prison in Philadelphia, will also be hosting a town hall on mass incarceration the Monday, after the forum at Benedict College.

The two events both challenge what their respective organizers see as a 2020 field that has yet to prioritize criminal justice reform as an issue.

In this regard, the differences between the two events are telling.

The event at Benedict College, hosted by the 20/20 Bipartisan Criminal Justice Center, will be hosting a number of Democratic candidates throughout its weekend programming after Trump speaks, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Sen. Kamala Harris, as well as former Vice President Joe Biden.

In the event announcement, its organizers note that there has yet to be a comprehensive town hall, debate, or forum dedicated exclusively to the topic of criminal justice reform for presidential candidates. 20/20 Bipartisan Criminal Justice Center invited all Democratic presidential candidates, with the hope that they would present their platforms "with measurable results to be achieved by 2024," according to the event announcement.

The event at the Eastern State Penitentiary is also for 2020 Democratic hopefuls. Thus far, only Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Cory Booker, and businessman Tom Steyer have committed to appear, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Unique to the event at Benedict College is its bipartisan focus. Trump will be siloed from other speakers, addressing attendees on Friday, rather than Saturday and Sunday. He spoke at "The Conservative Case for Criminal Justice Reform," Friday's symposium.

Since his arrival in Columbia, protestors gathered outside Benedict College. As reported by the State, a local newspaper in the area, half of the tickets for the invitation-only, 300-person event will be reserved for the administration's guests and allies. A spokesperson for Benedict said that only around 10 tickets will go to Benedict students.

The 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center bills itself as "the only nationwide coalition of Black Republicans, Democrats, and Independents focused on criminal justice reform."

President Trump was presented with a "Bipartisan Justice Award" at the event. Some see Trump's appearance as a self-congratulatory victory lap for the First Step Act.

"It's an opportunity for Trump to tout one of his accomplishments ... " Dr. Danielle Vinson, a Furman University political science professor, said to Grenville News. "Trump likes to celebrate his victories, and the opportunity to do it in a state where he's popular but in a venue that many will see as Democratic turf is icing on the cake."

And Trump did exactly that. After thanking those hosting the event — and the 10 or so Benedict College students in attendance — he had nothing but glowing words for the passed legislation, which some criminal justice advocates believe to require a careful second and third step in order to truly achieve change within the system.

"We brought the whole country together to achieve a truly momentous milestone. They said it couldn't be done. Past administrations tried and failed," Trump said. "After years or waiting, we assembled a historic coalition; it was truly historic ... We got them together, and I said 'How did we do that one?'"

As the event was primarily populated with those in support of Trump, applause bounced around the room throughout.

At the Eastern State Penitentiary event, the focus will be on the voices of the incarcerated, according to Voters Organized To Educate, the coalition that convened the event.

"They're not talking to us," Vivian Nixon, one of the town hall moderators, said to the Intercept. "You certainly wouldn't have a conversation about veterans without sitting down with veteran groups — that would be absurd."

Biden, Harris, and Sanders are speaking on Saturday at the Second Step forum. Warren will be speaking on Sunday.