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Formoreinformation,contactyourCoreTeamleader(s)orCONECTorganizers:MattMcDermott
(matt.mcd9@gmail.com),IlanaOfgang(iofgang@gmail.com)orKristenEstabrook(kristen.estabrook@gmail.com).
Connecticut's 'Clean Slate' bill would automatically expunge criminal records after a person has served their sentence and then remained crime-free for several years. Behind
this important debate are REAL PEOPLE whose lives and stories we must keep at the forefront of our policy decisions. There are tens of thousands of people in Connecticut
impacted by this debate -- here are four of them, in their own words.
ROGSBERT “TAMMY” KING: “At20yearsofage,inaBridgeportcourtroom,Iwasexperiencinglaborpainswhileajudgesentencedmeto10yearsinjail.ItwasMarch17,1989.Iwastakenfromthecourtroomtoahospital,whereIgavebirthtomyson,Shawn,thenextday.Ispentsixhourswithhimbeforewewereseparated.
“DuringthoseyearsinwhichIwasasubstanceabuser,timeandtimeagainIwasgivenjailasmyonlyoption,nevertreatment.Jailwastheonlyoptionavailableforsubstanceabusers.MylastbrushwithlawenforcementwasinOctober2007.Followingthatarrest,Iwasgivenanotheroption--asubstanceabuseprogram.Ihavebeencleanandsobereversince.
“Despitehavingearnedmybachelor’sdegreeandhavingbeendrugandcrimefreeforsomanyyears,Istillgetturneddownforjobsbecauseofmyrecord.IfCleanSlatepasses,IwouldliketocontinuewithmyMaster’sinSocialWorkandbecomealicensedtherapist,openmyownpractice,andgivebacktomycommunity.Likesomanyotherswithacriminalrecord,Iammerelyseekingtoliveapeaceful,quietlifeasaproductivecitizenofsociety.”
RICKDELVALLE:“Afteryearsofbattlingmydrugaddictionandrepeatedarrests,Iwasfinallyabletogetcleanandsober.Ihavenowbeenalcoholanddrugfreeforoverelevenyears,andmylifehasbeentransformed.TodayIamahusbandandthefatheroftwosons,RickyandCarson.MywifeJessicaandIownandrunfiverecoveryhousesformen,withatotalofsixty-fivebeds,inNewHaven.Ourhousesprovidestructure,accountability,andsupporttomenbattlingthediseaseofaddiction.
“TodayIhavethehonorandprivilegeofworkingwithmenwithsubstanceabuseissues,employmentisahugestepforwardintheirlives.Iknowthathavingnopurposeinmylifewasabigpartofwhatkeptmestuckinmydisease.Whenamaninearlyrecoveryhasajob,hestartstofeelgoodabouthimselfandregainhisself-esteem,beginningtofeelhumanagain. Mygoalisnotonlytogetmyownrecordexpunged,butalsotohelpthemeninmyhouses,andallthoseacrossthestatewhosenonviolent,drug-relatedcrimesarewellinthepastandwhodeserveachanceatafuture.”
THEFACESOFCLEANSLATE
Formoreinformation,contactyourCoreTeamleader(s)orCONECTorganizers:MattMcDermott
(matt.mcd9@gmail.com),IlanaOfgang(iofgang@gmail.com)orKristenEstabrook(kristen.estabrook@gmail.com).
LONNIESPAULDING:“Atanearlyage,Iturnedtoalifethecrime,sellingdrugsandrobbery.Bytheageof17,Iwasgivenasentence3to5yearsinayouthdetentioncenter,untilIturned21.Duringthattime,Irealizedthatthislifeofcrimewasnotforme.Imadeachoicetochange.IdecidedthatIwantedmoreformylife,andIfoundawaytogetit:Iopenedmyownbusiness.
“OneofthethingsthatmademedecidetogointobusinesswasthatIknewthatIwouldhaveacriminalrecord,astigmathatwouldpreventmefromfindinggoodjobs.SoIfoundthisadinthebackofamagazineonhowtobeyourownbossandtolearntorepairleatherandvinyl.Isentthem$75theysentmearepairkit.Itaughtmyselfhowtorepairandhowtorefinishandrenewleatherandvinyl.35yearslater,I'minthatsamebusiness!
“NowIamleadingaprogramtohelpyoungmencomingbackfromprisontofindtheirway.Ithinkaperson,whomadeamistakeandpaidhisdebttosociety,shouldn’tbeshunnedforever.Theirrecordshouldn'tkeepthemfromfindingemploymentorgettingloansorPellGrantstogobacktoschoolandfinddecent-payingjobs.Ibelieveinredemption!”
ASTIJACKSON:“Whowouldhavethoughtdrugoffenseswouldtakesomuchtime?Evenwhenmyfatherleftprison,hestillhadtodotime.Hehadtowaitforpermissionfromhisparoleofficertoleavethestateandwaitonnumerousoccasionsforemployerstodenyhimajobbecausehehadbeenlabeleda“felon”.Evenafterfinishingparolein2018,he’sstillwaitingforhistimetoend:foratimehecanactuallygetajob,housingandrealindependence.MyDadlivesinthe
stateofAlabama,andeventhoughhecanlegallyleavethestate,hedoesn’thavethefinancestodosobecauseofhislackofconsistentemploymentduetohiscriminalrecord.Alabamadoesn’texactlywelcomethosewhowereinprisonwithopenarms.
“ButConnecticutisn’tAlabama.Thereisaprocessforexpungementthroughpetition,butittakestoomuchtime.Thosewhohavebeeninprisonorjailandcompletedparoleorprobationhavedoneenoughtimeandtheirchildrenhavetoo.Automaticexpungementwillreducetheamountoftimeittakestoreuniteparentsintotheirfamiliesasproviders.Itwillreducetheamountoftimethatindividualsarejobless,underemployed,withouthousingandleftfeelinghopeless.ConnecticutcouldleadasanexampleforthenationthroughCleanSlatelegislation.Becausewedon’thaveenoughtimetowaitanylonger.”
THEFACESOFCLEANSLATE
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