the development of ban the box. who came up with the term “ban the box”?
TRANSCRIPT
The Development of Ban The Box
Who came up with the term “Ban The Box”?
All of Us or NoneAll of Us or None, a project of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, is a national grassroots
civil and human rights movement started by formerly-incarcerated people to challenge the
discrimination we face after release and to secure full restoration of our human rights, as well as the
rights of persons still incarcerated.
We feel that after our sentences are completed, we have a right to re-establish our lives with full rights and responsibilities as human beings in America.
How we began…
Strategy Session
Convening of over 60 formerly-
incarcerated people
April, 2003
Agreements were established to organize statewide across racial, class, gender, age and geographic boundaries
Organized a national planning meeting in New Orleans, convening over 50 former prisoners from
16 states
Collectively we agreed to form All Of Us Or None.
WHO WE ARE
Formerly / Previously, Currently Incarcerated People
Fathers, Mother, Sons, Daughters, Educators, Attorneys, Nurses…
Our life experiences are much richer and diverse than our past indiscretions
We reject terms such as:"ex-offender," "ex-criminal," "ex-felon," "ex-convict," “convicts,”, “offenders,” “inmates,”
and other dehumanizing labels because they seek to redefine us by our worst mistake(s), and prevent us from being seen as legitimate people, as human
beings in the U.S.
WHO WE ARE NOT
We are not the total sum of our past mistakes, accusations, or convictions
The operative word should be PEOPLE
(The words prisoner or captive reflect the actual state of people being held in captivity,
and so we do not object to such use.)
We have also developed campaigns in California to build political power and
strengthen the voices and leadership of people and communities affected by the "criminal
justice”/punishment system.
One of our current campaigns is
– Ban The Box –
the nationally-recognized effort to eliminate all questions relating to a person’s arrest or
conviction history from all applications – for housing, employment, benefits, etc..
“Have you EVER been convicted by a court?”
This question appears on most applications for employment, housing, public benefits, and
student loans.
We believe this question is the basis for widespread discrimination against people who
have been in prison or who have past convictions of any kind.
EMPLOYMENT
Many employers are using any conviction history as a way to
eliminate applicants from consideration,
without ever looking at their qualifications.
AUTOMATIC DENIAL FOR APARTMENT
RENTAL
HOUSING
Conviction histories that include felony
or misdemeanor convictions or
pending charges….
NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
APPLICATION FOR LIFE INSURANCE
ASKS THE QUESTION:
“In the last 5 years, have you been arrested, convicted or imprisoned for any reason?”
INSURANCE
We organized and brought our demands to cities and counties first because this is where we can show our power locally, by
mobilizing our communities.
As a result, SF became one of the first cities we were able to Ban the Box from
application from City and County Employment in 2006.
Recently, with the support and leadership of Community Housing Partnership (CHP), Lawyer’s
Committee for Civil Rights, and National Employment Law Project, we expanded our BTB
efforts to remove the question on initial employment applications, requiring PRIVATE employers to select
finalists on the basis of qualifications and job experience, and removing barriers to affordable
housing. On March 4th, the Fair Chance Ordinance was signed
into law.
San Francisco: Ban The Box for Private Employers
ALL OF US OR NONE
*Structural Discrimination Against the Formerly-Incarcerated
The campaign to BAN THE BOX came straight from us – the people who have been facing this problem for decades
We recognized the problem*, coined the term Ban The Box, and began to see how to move us from talk to action to solving
this problem!
We appreciate the support from the many agencies joining our efforts to level the playing field. However, formerly incarcerated leadership on Ban the Box has
been relegated to the backburner, in terms of both prominence and resources.
How can those who are not directly impacted by structural discrimination honor our efforts to be seen as
legitimate people and as developers of the most comprehensive solutions to problems of discrimination
facing us, our families, and our communities?
The Conundrum
Our goal …continues to be to strengthen the voices and leadership of people most affected by structural discrimination and the growth of the
prison-industrial complex.
We want to be considered and treated as human beings in a society still saturated with discriminatory
and inhumane policies and practices.
For More Information on Ban The Box or how to get formerly-incarcerated people
involved with All Of Us Or None, please contact:
Manuel La Fontaine [email protected]
415-625-7051 orDorsey Nunn
All of Us or None