May 27, 2021 -
Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed into law a bill that would bar Georgia's many licensing boards from denying credentials to people on probation or parole for many crimes. That's an important step toward fair chance licensing, says DJ Sims, a reentry organizer in Georgia — but additional reforms are needed to ensure that people who've served their time are able to make a living.
May 24, 2019 -
As the movement for criminal justice reform takes center stage ahead of the 2020 elections, governors and legislators in the South are offering reforms to create a more welcoming reentry process after prison and to restore rights stripped from ex-felons — though progress on that front faces backlash in Florida.
July 14, 2016 -
Alton Sterling was shot to death by police outside a Baton Rouge convenience store while selling CDs to get by. With a felony conviction on his record, Sterling faced significant employment barriers — but efforts are underway in Louisiana and elsewhere to dismantle at least some of them through so-called "ban the box" laws.
February 26, 2016 -
With millions of Americans disqualified for good-paying jobs because of criminal pasts, a growing number of states and local governments across the South are joining the movement to end the practice of asking about convictions on job applications.
May 7, 2015 -
There's a growing national movement to end the discriminatory practice of requiring job applicants to check off a box if they have a criminal record. Last month, Virginia became the most recent state to "Ban the Box."
