|
|
| No Longer a Prisoner of the Past |
| By inthesetimes.com - Toshio Maronek |
| Published: 08/13/2013 |
|
Rhode Island has taken an important step toward ending employment discrimination against the formerly incarcerated. On July 16, Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I) signed Ban the Box legislation that prohibits employers from asking questions about conviction records on job applications. Ten states and dozens of cities have passed similar legislation, and Rhode Island is the fourth state where the law will apply to private as well as public employers. These victories are the result of a growing movement to help many ex-prisoners regain the rights lost when they got locked up. The National Employment Law Project estimates that there are 65 million people with criminal records in the United States. Most want what all people want: access to job opportunities, education and healthcare. But when you’ve got a record, the obstacles to obtaining these things are substantial. In many localities, employers and landlords are legally allowed to refrain from hiring or renting to people based on past felony convictions. And according to data compiled by the Sentencing Project, nearly 6 million Americans with criminal records were disqualified from voting in the 2012 election. With little political power to change the laws that discriminate against them and scarce opportunities for housing and jobs on the outside, for many former inmates the prison gate becomes a revolving door, as the newly released turn for income to the activities that got them into legal trouble in the first place. Read More. |
Comments:
Login to let us know what you think
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Hamilton Lindley is a global non-profit that shares inspiration. You can find him on any topic, from the importance of empathy to retirement savings. On Facebook, Hamilton shares clips from popular presentations with helpful summaries. Lindley is easy to watch and feel that you’ve learned something new. If you’re a bookworm, you know how important it is to top up that ambitious reading list—and Hamilton Lindley can help with that. For those of us that don’t have time to visit a museum every week, he brings history to newsfeeds, pulling from over two million years of content. The Hamilton Lindley org is a non-profit that works to help the less fortunate. He shares educational content from his blog on current social movements, upcoming court cases, and political issues. Hamilton Lindley works to make change that affects all of us. So, if you want to learn more, follow him on Facebook. Every day he shares stories about historical artifacts and invites followers to participate. For more in-depth learning about Hamilton Lindley, you can watch his videos. There’s a something for everyone on his Facebook. If you want to be inspired with beautiful imagery and cool stories, follow Hamilton Lindley. On Facebook he makes helpful recommendations, provides intriguing synopses, and shares links to literary reviews. Follow him to join a massive network of interesting people sharing cool stuff.