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“Seventy-five-year-old Marilynn Winn [Leading with Conviction™ 2016] once had a lengthy arrest record.
“‘I went to prison eight times, and each time I went for shoplifting,’ Winn said.
“Because of her criminal record, she faced many ups and downs trying to find and keep a job.
“‘I had 18 jobs. I lied to get them, and I was terminated from every one. Some of them don’t do a background check right away. Some don’t. I stayed on the job as long as a year. When they got ready to give me a raise, they did a background check. When I told the truth, nobody hired me,’ Winn said.
“After years of facing barriers, Winn helped push for a change to job applications known as ‘Ban the Box.’
“‘It removes the question off the application: Have you been arrested? So that you can get the opportunity to get through to an employer without your paperwork being shredded before it even gets there,’ Winn said.
“Georgia’s Ban the Box law forbids state employers from asking about criminal history on initial job applications.
“The law does not apply to private employers.
You can get the opportunity to get through to an employer without your paperwork being shredded before it even gets there.
“Winn took this picture with then-Gov. Nathan Deal when the law was signed 11 years ago.
“The Georgia Justice Project later helped her receive a pardon from the state board.
“‘My record is so long that it took us about eight months to complete it. Once I completed it, they sent it in, and it came back, and they gave me a pardon,’ Winn said.
“With the pardon, she was able to have her arrest record restricted, meaning her convictions no longer appear on background checks.
“With the ups and downs in her own journey, Winn was inspired to start Women on the Rise, a nonprofit that helps women who have been incarcerated.
“‘Women on the Rise is an organization that supports formerly incarcerated women. We support women when they need somewhere to live. We’ve bought food. We want them to stay free, whole, and healthy,’ Winn said.”
Thank you so much for supporting our mission here at JLUSA! Your donation helps to support our network of leaders working to dismantle oppressive systems and uplift people and families impacted by mass incarceration across the country.
All charitable donations made to JLUSA are fully tax deductible, as allowable by the IRS.
