Foss would become the assistant district attorney in the juvenile division in Suffolk County in New York and the experience led him to become one of the country’s leading advocates for criminal justice reform, seeking to redefine the role of the prosecutor to help end mass incarceration in the United States.
He’ll be the keynote speaker for “A Prosecutor’s Vision for a Better Justice System,” the Wittenberg Series’ annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation at 11:15 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21 in Weaver Chapel on the Wittenberg University campus.
Admission is free.
Foss helped create programs in distressed Boston neighborhoods and interventions to curb the problem, leading him to later found Prosecutor Impact, his nonprofit using resources to benefit communities with better education, training and improved access to technology for prosecutors.
What he wants the convocation audience to take away is mass incarceration’s overall impact.
“It’s not a poor issue, it’s not a black issue, it affects everyone,” Foss said. “It deprives us of diversity of ideas, thoughts. It’s in the spirit of Martin Luther King.”
By embracing reform now, Foss said we can look back on ourselves in the future and see how far we’ve come in ways already achieved by other countries..
He’s even worked with Springfield’s own John Legend, who supports Foss’s work.
The past three years have seen a younger wave of progressive prosecutors coming in, which he finds exciting. He also sees a more diverse population of lawyers.
While happy for the interest, Foss admittedly dreads the possibility of people giving up too quickly, if not seeing immediate results, a reflection of the times.
“We have to realize our country’s system was built over centuries, so it’s going to take time,” he said. “I might not see it in my lifetime.”
Foss has seen much acclaim for his work. But he can’t do it all alone and encourages everyone to participate for change.
“There’s a misunderstanding of criminal justice and people can imbibe in the content. They can learn what is happening,” he said.
People can take steps as easy as taking a morning to attend a county courthouse to see what is happening or go to shelters and communities to meet homeless people.
Foss said he loves being included in the MLK Convocation here.
“It’s an honor to be asked to go on the day we honor Dr. King’s birthday,” he said. “I hope people will take the time to come out, bring young people. These are the new civil rights leaders of our time. The more people we have, the more we can do.”
HOW TO GO
What: MLK Convocation: A Prosecutor’s Vision for a Better Justice System
Where: Weaver Chapel, Wittenberg University, 200 W. Ward St., Springfield
When: Monday, Jan. 21, 11:15 a.m.
Admission: free
More info: www.wittenberg.edu/event/wittenberg-series-martin-luther-king-jr-convocation
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