“Beyond the Bars: Moving Forward,” the is an annual conference on criminal justice organized by Criminal Justice Caucus and faculty at the Columbia University School of Social Work  (CUSSW) in conjunction with their counterparts at other schools across the university and city. The conference, which usually occurs in the early spring, attracts hundreds of students and faculty from across Columbia University and New York City, along with leading criminal justice activists, many of whom were formerly incarcerated.  For the last few years, Angela Davis has served as keynote speaker at last year’s conference.  On March 6^th, 2015, critically acclaimed author Michelle Alexander will take center stage.