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Formoreinformation,contactyourCoreTeamleader(s)orCONECTorganizers:MattMcDermott
([email protected]),IlanaOfgang([email protected])orKristenEstabrook([email protected]).
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
([email protected]),IlanaOfgang([email protected])orKristenEstabrook([email protected]).
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
