We post news and comment on federal criminal justice issues, focused primarily on trial and post-conviction matters, legislative initiatives, and sentencing issues.
NEW SEARCHABLE TABLE OF COLLATERAL CONSEQUENCES ON WEB
Not that prisoners themselves can access this, but a new interactive tool from the National Reentry Resource Center – run by the Council of State Governments Justice Center – lets anyone search by state or type of consequence over 1,600 collateral consequences placed on people with criminal records.
The National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction permits searches by state, by consequence, or by keyword. Collateral consequences are penalties buried in various laws that can limit or prohibit people convicted of crimes from finding work, accessing housing, and otherwise impact their rights and benefits that can help them to rebuild their lives.
“It’s amazing how, in the midst of helping people reenter society, we’re often flying blind when it comes to understanding some of things they’re up against. A lot of the time, the people who are responsible for the enforcement of these regulatory sanctions aren’t even aware of them,” said John Wetzel, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and chair of the CSG Justice Center Board of Directors. “This database launched today gives us a clear view into these obstacles in each state, which will help us navigate the reentry process and, in some cases, could lead to policy change.”
National Reentry Resource Center, New Web Tool Provides Look at Often-Overlooked Legal, Regulatory Restrictions Against People who have Criminal Convictions (Oct. 31, 2018)
– Thomas L. Root