Ban the Box: Ending Attacks on Civil Rights in Employment and Beyond
Year
2011 - Los Angeles, CA
Speakers
Moderator: Saúl Sarabia, Director, Critical Race Studies Program; Lecturer in Law, UCLA Law School
Daryl Atkinson, Staff Attorney, North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services; Member, North Carolina Second Chance Alliance
Linda Evans, Organizer, All of Us or None and Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, San Francisco, CA
LaResse Harvey, Policy Director, A Better Way Foundation, Hartford, CT
Bruce Reilly, Organizer, Direct Action for Rights and Equality, Providence, RI
People who have been convicted of a drug law violation face enormous obstacles. The drug war leads to the criminalization and incarceration of hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. every year, often preventing their full participation in community and civic life. For instance, gaining employment can often be nearly impossible when employers won’t hire people with criminal records. This panel will provide conference participants with tools to fight discrimination against people with arrest or conviction records. Speakers will highlight numerous successful campaigns led by formerly incarcerated people that have removed barriers to employment, housing and other basic rights.