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Over 70,000,000people in the United States have a criminal record. They face an estimated 45,000 barriers and exclusions. The #WORKINGfuture campaign centers the voices and experiences of directly impacted people to fight back against the attack on the livelihoods and well-being of people with records. It is our mission to boldly redefine the standard for economic justice for all workers with a new Bill of Rights.
The undercurrent of every major civil and political rights movement in U.S. history has been the struggle for economic justice, and every movement has been waged by those most impacted. The fight to dismantle incarceration and criminalization is no exception.
What we have seen after decades of the War on Drugs, tough on crime policies, and mass incarceration is an intentional and almost unprecedented theft of wages, skills, safety, and human dignity. Six decades of policymaking has led to economic disinvestment in the same communities most harmed by over-policing and mass criminalization. While millions of workers search for what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called “the dignity of labor,” the 45,000 laws and statutes continue to relegate people to a perpetual second class status.
We say enough.
In 2018, the #WORKINGfuture campaign released the Bill of Rights for Criminalized Workers— a blueprint to restore the civil and human rights of people with records and formerly incarcerated people. We have made significant gains in places like Rhode Island, South Carolina, Michigan, and Ohio as we continue to work with advocates and legislatures to overturn harmful laws and policies. Most recently, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez submitted the Bill of Rights into the congressional record during a hearing for the Fair Chance Act, as an essential document when talking about restoring dignity for people with records.
We are deeply proud of the work we have accomplished so far, but we have so much left to do. Almost every town, city, and state has statutes or laws that prevent people with records from working, finding housing, or supporting their family with a generational wage. A conviction should not be a life sentence. We demand a #WORKINGfuture for all.
Take action:
ONWARD!
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By making a donation in honor of JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
Mail that includes checks only:
JUSTLEADERSHIPUSA, INC
P.O. Box 23681
New York, NY 10087-3681
All other mail:
P.O. Box 1730, New York, NY 10037
347.454.2195
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JustLeadershipUSA is a non-partisan organization. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed belong solely to the individual author or speaker, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the organization.
Since 2014, JustLeadershipUSA has maintained our commitment to ensuring systems-impacted voices are at the forefront of the movement for criminal legal reform, empowering directly impacted leaders in over 45 states with the tools, resources, and connections to transform their work.
Your donation will provide crucial support for our leadership training programs, empowering future generations of leaders and propelling the work of JLUSA and our alumni as we continue to advocate and push reform on issues that matter the most in our communities.
In just 10 years, JLUSA and our network of leaders have worked to dismantle decades of harm caused by the criminal legal system.