Saad Soliman on economic mobility for formerly incarcerated people — in USA Today

Saad Soliman (Leading with Conviction™ 2019) writes at USA Today:

“I spent most of the first half of my life in carceral settings.

“My first incarceration was at 11 years old. By 17, I was serving what amounted to a juvenile life sentence, followed by 15 consecutive years in prison. When I came home at 32, I stepped into a different kind of prison: one built from stigma, systemic barriers and the persistent shadow of a criminal record.

The U.S. economy loses between $78 and $87 billion annually in gross domestic product due to the employment barriers faced by people with criminal records.

“That’s why clean slate, expungement and pardon legislation aren’t abstract policy ideas to me ‒ they are deeply personal, transformational tools that can open doors otherwise locked shut. These aren’t about erasing accountability. They’re about recognizing rehabilitation, maturity and the human capacity for change. They’re about giving people a real chance to rejoin the communities they never stopped loving.

“After my release, I refused to be defined by my record. Instead, I became the first formerly incarcerated person ever hired by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware. I helped anchor and launch the state’s first federal reentry court, a visionary model that is still operating today and successfully serving Delawareans. I didn’t just reenter society ‒ I helped reimagine what reentry could look like. But even with that level of access and success, I still faced unnecessary hurdles that clean slate legislation would have helped eliminate. …

“The Center for Economic and Policy Research estimates that the U.S. economy loses between $78 and $87 billion annually in gross domestic product due to the employment barriers faced by people with criminal records.

“That’s not just a policy failure ‒ it’s an economic one.

“Clean slate laws create stronger, more stable communities. When people can access jobs and housing, they pay taxes, raise their families and contribute to the fabric of our economy. The data is clear: When you give people a fair chance, most take it and run with it.

“At the federal level, the introduction of the Weldon Angelos Presidential Pardon Expungements Act is a potential game-changer. Named for a man who was sentenced to 55 years in prison for a first-time nonviolent offense and later pardoned, this bipartisan bill would allow people who have received presidential pardons to petition for record expungement.

“Currently, a pardon removes penalties but not the stigma. Even after a presidential pardon, individuals still face the barriers tied to their record. This bill would be the first of its kind to create a federal pathway for record expungement, offering real relief and real second chances.

“We are living through a political moment where tough-on-crime rhetoric is once again on the rise. However, the facts don’t support the fear.

“What we need now is not a return to mass incarceration, but a doubling down on policies that work: Clean slate laws, investment in reentry programs and fair hiring practices.”

Read the full op-ed at USAToday.com.