U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Public Briefing: "Collateral Consequences: The Crossroads of Punishment, Redemption and the Effects on Communities"

News provided by

May 10, 2017, 16:30 ET

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On May 19, in Washington, the Commission will hold a public briefing: "Collateral Consequences: The Crossroads of Punishment, Redemption and the Effects on Communities."

Some 20 million formerly incarcerated individuals confront significant hurdles to reenter society and pursue a law-abiding life. For example, many are denied the right to vote and to sit on a jury – rights embedded in our Constitution. They may face numerous barriers to reentry, including denial of governmental assistance designed to assist with finding employment. These collateral consequences affect families of the formerly incarcerated in a multitude of ways. For decades, communities of color have been disproportionately represented in the rates of felony convictions, and therefore are hardest hit.

The Commission will hear presentations from diverse stakeholders, including affected individuals, community and advocacy groups, government officials, and academics.

Chair Catherine E. Lhamon said, "Individuals who have paid their debt to society deserve the chance to rebuild their lives after incarceration. The Commission looks forward to receiving information about whether and how current barriers to employment, voting, housing, education, among other core areas of civic life, deprive these Americans of that second chance."

The briefing is open to the public, and will be held at the Commission: 1331 Pennsylvania Av. NW, 11^th Floor, Washington, DC 20425. The sessions will be live-streamed:

https://www.youtube.com/user/USCCR/videos

There will also be a call-in line (listen only): 1-888-481-2844; ID: 6912715.

AGENDA

I. Introductory Remarks, Chair Catherine E. Lhamon: 9:30 - 9:40 am EST

II. Panel One: Overview of Collateral Consequences from Incarceration:

9:40 - 11:05 am

National experts provide an overview of the long-lasting effects of incarceration after a prison sentence has ended. Panelists will discuss how these continuing barriers impact recidivism and particular communities.

Speakers:

Margaret Love, Executive Director, Collateral Consequences Resource Center
Vikrant Reddy, Senior Research Fellow, Charles Koch Institute
Traci Burch, Associate Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University
John Malcolm, Vice President of the Institute for Constitutional Government, Heritage Foundation
Naomi Goldberg, Policy and Research Director, Movement Advancement Project

III. Panel Two: Access to civil participation after incarceration:

11:10 am - 12:15 pm

National experts and professors discuss the barriers to civil participation following incarceration, specifically focusing on the right to vote and jury participation.

Speakers:

Marc Mauer, Executive Director, The Sentencing Project
Hans von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow, Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, Heritage Foundation
James Binnall, Assistant Professor of Law, Criminology, and Criminal Justice, California State University at Long Beach
Anna Roberts, Associate Professor, Seattle University School of Law; Faculty Fellow, Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality

IV. Break

V. Panel Three: Access to self-sufficiency and meeting basic needs:

1:15 - 2:30 pm

National experts discuss the barriers to self-sufficiency and meeting basic needs after incarceration. Panelists will focus on employment, housing and access to public benefits.

Speakers:

Maurice Emsellem, Program Director, National Employment Law Project
Kate Walz, Director of Housing Justice, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
Amy Hirsch, Managing Attorney, North Philadelphia Law Center; Welfare, Aging and Disabilities Units, Community Legal Services
Marc Levin, Director, Center for Effective Justice; Texas Public Policy Foundation; Right on Crime

The public is encouraged to provide comments via email: [email protected].

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights matters and issuing an annual federal civil rights enforcement report. Please follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Contact: Brian Walch
[email protected]
202-376-8371

SOURCE U.S. Commission on Civil Rights