The title of this post is the title of this notable recent report from the folks at the Alliance for Safety and Justice. I highly recommend the report in full, and here is part of its executive summary:
Across the United States, popular support for criminal justice reform is at an all-time high. More and more Americans of all walks of life agree that the “tough-on-crime” era resulted in bloated, costly and ineffective corrections practices. Today, everyday people and public officials across the political spectrum support a balanced approach to public safety — one that emphasizes crime prevention and rehabilitation to stop the cycle of crime.
As states re-examine their crime policies, it is critical to also review the lifetime impacts of criminal records in preventing full rehabilitation for millions of Americans. Meaningful rehabilitation provides people that complete their sentences and remain crime-free redemption and full re-integration into the economy, our communities and civic society. Despite growing support for rehabilitation as a primary goal of corrections, few Americans will ever become rehabilitated because criminal records prevent inclusion.
More than 70 million Americans have a criminal record. Long after they’ve paid their debts to society, many will find themselves caught in a labyrinth of legal prohibitions and barriers that have little to do with public safety. These restrictions place undue burdens on millions of people and impose an invisible, life-long sentence that can make it difficult to get back to work, find housing, or support their families. These barriers can also make it harder—not easier—to stay out of the cycle of crime.
As a nation, we’ve only begun to grapple with the impacts of these barriers on our society. These restrictions prevent, millions of people with past convictions from getting work, which in turn may lead to families in living in unstable housing or contribute to homelessness, and to millions of children growing up with parents that cannot fully contribute to their families, or our economy.
Some states have taken steps to limit the debilitating impacts of criminal records on economic productivity and family stability after a person’s time is served. But most current law, policies and processes fall short of bringing widespread relief....
This brief offers guidelines for legislation that would begin to make rehabilitation meaningful and provide relief for people with past convictions so they can contribute to the economy and society as a whole....
The first step for policymakers interested in moving toward a more evidence-based, safety-centered legal model for removing the barriers imposed by past arrests or convictions is to ask key questions about how current laws, policies and practices are working.
No comments:
Post a Comment