In America, 80 million people in America have an arrest record. That’s 1 in 3 working age Americans. Most people want to work and thrive in America. Yet a conviction background carries thousands of collateral consequences that create massive barriers to equal employment and participation in society. Millions of people carry this scarlet letter through life each day, facing a “civil death” that inhibits their ability to contribute to the economy and society. Collectively these factors form one of the leading civil & human rights issues of our time. America has invested in a structural and cultural system that relies on punishment. What if we invested in people not punishment?
