NACDL's activities in support of Second Chance Month.

In Part II of the discussion on Race and Collateral Consequences, we explore how the use of “moral character” clauses, like those used in state bar licensing, can prevent individuals with convictions from participating in the legal profession. We also discuss a range of restrictions to entrepreneurial ventures that people with criminal convictions face that range from limiting a person’s ability to access capital through loans to barring participation in the legal, regulated cannabis industry.

NACDL is working with a coalition of organizations to end felony disenfranchisement in Oregon. 

NACDL supports efforts to alleviate the collateral consequences of criminal legal system involvement by eliminating barriers to attaining occupational licenses.

 NACDL advocated for legislation to allow individuals with criminal convictions to serve on juries.

Recording of Unlocking the Jury Box: How Felony Disenfranchisement Contributes to America's Jury Diversity Problem, a webinar hosted by NACDL for Second Chance Month 2022. 

NACDL successfully advocated for legislation to restore voting rights to individuals with felony convictions who are on probation or parole. 

NACDL is a coalition partner of Fully Free: The Campaign to End Permanent Punishments. The campaign works to dismantle "the prison after the prison," the long-lasting barriers to housing, employment, education, civic engagement, and more for people with criminal records in Illinois.

NACDL advocated for the passage of legislation to restrict the public dissemination of arrest booking photos.

In celebration of Second Chance Month in April, NACDL hosts the first of two discussions on race and collateral consequences. Panelists discuss the long-term impacts of criminal convictions, the specific harm that collateral consequences have caused to communities of color, and what it will take to meaningfully change this system.

NACDL supports efforts to alleviate the collateral consequences of criminal legal system involvement by eliminating barriers to attaining occupational licenses.

Though many individuals incarcerated in local jails retain the right to vote, they often cannot exercise it in practice. This de-facto disenfranchisement is caused by a wide range of barriers including difficulty registering to vote, challenges with casting a ballot, and misinformation pertaining to eligibility. In this webinar, we delve into the causes of jail-based disenfranchisement and highlight strategies that advocates and elected officials can employ to ensure that eligible voters who are being detained are not denied their right to vote.

The consequences of conviction – specific legal barriers, generalized discrimination, and social stigma – have become more numerous and severe, more public, and more permanent. NACDL is proud to have several projects aimed at examining the collateral consequences of these convictions, including our 2014 report Collateral Damage, the 2018 Presidential Summit on collateral consequences, and our work to promote second chances at the state and federal level.

Reports on restoration of rights and the collateral consequences of an arrest or conviction.

NACDL Letter to New Mexico Governor in support of HB 370, the "Criminal Record Expungement Act."