Driving Change Together
The 2026 CJAB Conference "Driving Change Together" will be held on April 21-22, 2026 at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College. The conference will bring together criminal justice, behavioral health, and treatment partners for an engaging and thought-provoking one and a half-day event, featuring an exciting line-up of national and local experts who will examine rethinking the criminal justice system, shifting from reactive measures to cooperative solutions to foster meaningful change.
- In the powerful and deeply personal opening keynote, "Find Your Voice - Reclaim Your Power", Allan Kehler will challenge the cultural myths around mental health, resilience, and emotional expression.
- Public health researcher and advocate Dr. Sylvia C. Washington will challenge attendees to expand their understanding of Gun Violence Prevention - not just as a matter of policy, but as a public health imperative rooted in equity, prevention, and collective care - in "Expanding the Frame: Advancing Intersectional Approaches to Community Violence Intervention".
- We will also be joined by Media in Neighborhoods Group (MING) co-founder El Sawyer. In "Missing Persons: Reentry, and the Aftermath of Incarceration", El will outline how social isolation, chronic stress, loss of agency, and institutional trauma fundamentally reshape behavior, identity, and decision-making, long after a person returns home.
- New this year, the agenda will be structured into three separate tracks:
- Track 1: Behavioral Health & Justice
- Track 2: Gun Violence Reduction
- Track 3: Reentry
The Details
When: April 21-22, 2026
Where: The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College
Fee: There is no fee to attend. Continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided on both days.
For overnight accommodations, please click here, or contact 800-233-7505 and utilize the booking code CJAB26A.
The deadline for the discounted room rate of $139.00 is Friday, March 20, 2026.
To ensure that this conference continues to be free for attendees, PCCD asks that registrants make every effort to notify staff of cancellations by Friday, April 10, 2026. Cancellations after the deadline or 'no shows' to the conference may be subject to a fee of up to $78.00 per person. This amount is based on the Premium Day Meeting package rate charged by the Penn Stater and paid for by PCCD.