►
From YouTube: Committee on Public Safety 10-16-2018
Description
The Committee on Public Safety of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 to hear testimony on the following items:
180699 An Ordinance amending Title 10 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Individual Conduct and Activity," by amending Section 10-615, entitled "Disorderly Conduct and Related Offenses," and Chapter 10-2100, entitled "Marijuana Possession," to provide for certain additional offenses to be enforceable by civil penalties; under certain terms and conditions.
171091 Resolution authorizing the City Council Committee on Public safety to hold hearings examining compliance with the Ban the Box law since its enactment, and further examining the willingness of local area universities to ban the box from college applications.
Committee on Public Safety
Chair: Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. (4th District)
Vice Chair: Councilman Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District)
A
Good
afternoon,
everyone
and
thank
you
I,
like
that.
They
answer
back
and
and
thank
you
for
your
patience.
This
hearing
is
now
being
called
to
order.
This
is
a
public
hearing
on
the
City
Council's
Committee
of
Public
Safety.
The
purpose
of
this
hearing
is
to
hear
testimony
on
bill
number
one:
eight,
zero,
six,
nine,
nine
and
resolution
number
one:
seven
109
one
miss
Williams.
Could
you
read
the
titles
of
the
bills
bill.
B
A
A
C
My
name
is
Francis
helium
special
advisor
to
police
commissioner
Ross
on
behalf
of
the
police
department.
Thank
you
for
giving
the
department
the
opportunity
to
voice
its
opinion
on
this
bill.
I
will
defer
that
Julie
Wertheimer
is
written
testimony
but
I'm
happy
to
answer
my
infirm
IM
put
basically
on
the
on
bill
number
one:
eight
zero,
six,
nine
nine
as
it
relates
to
Sorley
conduct
offenses
and
the
marijuana
possession.
So.
A
D
C
Oftentimes
the
purchasers,
quite
frankly,
our
individuals
are
addicted
or
using
drugs
as
opposed
to
the
sellers.
So
there
is
a
distinction
under
state
law
for
that
offense
as
well.
So
what
we're
trying
to
do
is
basically
put
in
parity
what
we
have
already
in
place
right
now.
The
I
believe
that
district
attorney's
office
is
declining
to
prosecute
a
great
number
of
these
possess
are
purchasing
only
cases,
so
this
allows
the
officers
the
opportunity
is
still
intervene,
or
especially
when
the
community's
calling
them
for
help.
So
it's
not
like.
C
We
can't
do
anything
we
report
to
the
community,
that's
who
we
serve
so
this
allows
us
to
take
police
action,
so
the
community
can
feel
free
to
call
us.
We
can
still
take
police
action,
irrespective
on
the
back
end
whether
somebody's
gonna
be
facing
criminal
charges,
but
this
does
distinguish
from
sellers.
I
mean
that's,
that's
a
possession
with
intent
to
deliver
as
much
different
charge
than
merely
purchasing
okay.
C
And
I
will
say,
the
purchasing
was
actually
when
we
first
did
this
last
time
the
purchasing
was
maybe
had
been
an
oversight
and
I'll
say
maybe
on
my
part,
so
we
were
small
amounts
of
possession
of
marijuana.
We
were
still
processing
with
CBN's,
but
people
that
were
purchasing
were
getting
arrested.
So
there
was
a
little
bit
of
a
difference,
so
this
really
solidifies
it
makes
everything
consistent.
Thank
you.
Thank.
A
C
There
is
a
big
confusion
about
that.
The
issue
is,
it
is
still
illegal
under
state
law.
We
have
not
changed
that
the
city
of
Philadelphia
cannot
change
that,
however,
how
we
enforce
it
in
Philadelphia
has
been
directed
by
the
mayor's
negative
order.
So
several
years
ago,
city
council
allowed
these
things
to
be
identified
as
code
violation
notices.
That's
why
we
included
them
into
the
code
and
by
executive
order
of
the
mayor.
The
police
department
is
directed
to
follow
through
with
the
cvn
versus
the
state
charge.
C
A
One
other
clarifying
point
is
that
if
you
are
under
the
influence
of
marijuana
and
commit
some
other
offense,
that
then
is
also
considered.
For
example,
if
someone
operates
a
piece
of
equipment,
whether
it's
a
vic
or
a
heavy
piece
of
equipment
under
the
influence
that
goes
into
consideration
in
the
charges
as
well,
absolutely.
C
A
Wanted
to
make
a
clarification.
I
was
walking
Captain
Jack
Jones,
which
is
my
dog,
and
we
were
in
front
of
a
middle
school
and
there
were
some
young
people
coming
out
rolling
and
getting
ready
for
their
death
I
guess
they
thought
it
was
the
breakfast
of
champions
and
I
explained
to
him
that
they
shouldn't
be
doing
it
and
they
said
well,
wait
a
minute.
It's
labeled
I
said
no.
It's
decriminalized
and
I
had
to
go
into
that
lecture,
not
to
take
care,
but
I
had
to
make
the
clarification
anyway.
A
So
thank
you
very
much
for
that.
Are
there
any
other
and
I
recognize
the
presence
of
Councilwoman
Janie
black
boy
right
there.
Any
other
questions
we'll
hear
from
this
Wertheimer
and
thank
you
for
attending
pants
beginning.
Yes,
all
right!
Please
we
we're
so
rarely
on
time
that
that
food,
you
often
figured
you
had
a
grace
period.
Such
is
not
the
case.
Would
you
state
your
name
for
the
record
and.
E
Julie
Wertheimer
senior
director
of
criminal
justice
for
the
city
good
afternoon,
chairman
Jones
and
members
of
the
public
safety
committee,
my
name's
Julie
Wertheimer,
the
managing
directors
office,
supports
build
number
one:
zero,
eight,
six,
nine
nine,
which
amends
chapter
10
600
of
the
city
code
to
include
a
new
section,
10
615
entitled
disorderly
conduct
and
related
offenses
in
Chapter.
Ten
2100
entitled
marijuana
possession
to
provide
for
certain
additional
offenses
to
be
enforceable
by
civil
penalties,
all
under
certain
terms
and
conditions.
E
The
intent
of
this
bill
is
to
decriminalize
certain
additional
low-level
public
conduct
offenses
in
public
places.
It
will
effectively
prevent
new
incidents
from
entering
the
criminal
justice
system
by
permitting
the
Philadelphia
Police
Department
to
address
disorderly
public
behavior,
and
the
purchasing
of
marijuana
for
personal
use
through
the
civil
system
can
I
actually
abbreviate.
My
testimony,
incidentally,
I
just
want
to
add
an
objection.
I.
E
B
A
E
D
A
B
A
B
Problem
resolution
number
one:
seven,
one:
zero:
nine
one:
a
resolution
authorizing
the
City
Council
Committee
on
Public
Safety
to
hold
hearings,
examining
compliance
with
the
ban,
the
Box
law
since
its
enactment
and
further
examining
the
willingness
of
local
area
universities
to
ban
the
box
from
college
applications.
Thank.
A
You
miss
Williams
for
repeating
yourself
Charles,
who
recognizes
that
councilman
green
is
in
attendance.
I'ma
start
with
this
I
was
in
another
life,
a
track
coach
and
I
dealt
with
a
lot
of
young
people
on
their
way
to
somebody's
college
campus.
One
of
those
young
individuals
that
I
came
in
contact
with
was
from
a
low-income
community
and
did
not
have
a
trust
fund
did
not
have
a
secure
way
to
get
to
college,
and
once
he
got
to
college,
wasn't
sure
of
how
he
was
going
to
pay
for
his
room
and
board
and
a
meal
plan.
A
So
he
decided
to
be
entrepreneurial
and
what
he
decided
to
do
as
his
retail
opportunity
was
to
sell
DVDs
and
CDs
those
DVDs
and
CDs
were
not
patented.
They
were
bootleg
and
in
his
mind
he
thought
that
was
a
victimless
crime,
something
that
could
get
him
through,
but
you
know
and
be
able
to
pay
for
his
necessities
on
his
way
to
college.
The
patent.
People
that
represent
movies
came
down
very
hard
on
this,
maybe
I'm
gonna,
say
20
years
ago
real
hard
and
really
started
taking
people
to
task
for
selling
those
movies
and
CDs.
A
Today,
nobody
watches
CDs
or
DVDs,
or
at
least
nobody
of
a
certain
age.
This
young
man
got
a
record
and
was
unable
to
get
into
college
once
that
little
box
was
checked,
it
altered
his
whole
career
path.
He
is
now
a
volunteer
still.
His
daughter
is
a
track
star
and
works
with
her,
but
he
was
not
able
to
pursue
his
college
career
as
an
athlete.
Because
of
this
mishap
people
make
mistakes.
A
The
only
purpose
thing
is
dependent
on
your
system
of
belief
is
God
everybody
else
we
should
forgive
or
to
keep
out
of
these
type
of
situations
where
that
scarlet
letter
follows
them
around
forever.
This
is
a
furtherance
of
that
kind
of
pushing
of
people
to
the
right
path
and
keeping
them
from
a
path
of
limitations
and
marginalization.
A
B
A
F
Afternoon,
chairperson
Jones
and
members
of
the
public
safety
committee,
I'm
rule
and
I'll
executive
director
of
the
Philadelphia
Commission
on
human
relations.
Thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
testify
in
support
of
resolution
1
7
1
0,
9
1,
examining
compliance
with
Panda
box
since
its
enactment
and
the
willingness
of
local
area
universities
to
ban
the
Box
on
college
applications.
F
The
piece
EHR
is
a
city
agency
that
administers
and
enforces
the
fair
practices
ordinance
the
law
that
prohibits
discrimination
and
housing,
employment,
public
accommodations
and
public
accommodations
within
the
delivery
of
city
services.
Our
agency
also
enforces
the
fair
criminal
records,
screening,
Standards,
Act,
known
as
fair
chance
hiring
law
and
also
known
as
banned
the
box,
and
it's
found
in
Chapter
nine
3500
of
the
Philadelphia
Code
I
want
to
pause
for
a
second
and
just
recognize.
F
So
the
purpose
of
the
fair
chance
hiring
laws
was
to
eliminate
unfair
behavior,
unfair
barriers
to
employment
for
people
with
criminal
records
and
they
abling
them
to
acquire
the
employment
needed
to
become
a
reestablished
with
their
communities
and
contributing
members
of
society.
The
law,
as
passed
in
2011,
prohibited
questions
about
criminal
history
on
job
applications
and
during
the
first
interview
it
also
prohibited
questions
regarding
records
of
arrests
that
did
not
lead
to
conviction.
F
By
2015.
It
became
clear
that
to
be
truly
effective,
the
city's
fair
chance
hiring
law
needed
to
be
more
than
removed
the
box
from
the
application.
The
law
was
amended
that
year
to
prohibit
an
employer
from
running
a
criminal
background,
checked
until
after
the
applicant
received
a
conditional
offer
of
employment.
If,
through
a
background
check
an
employer
discovers
that
an
applicant
has
a
criminal
history,
the
applicant
must
be
provided
an
individualized
assessment
for
a
particular
job.
F
Instead
of
being
summarily
rejected
for
employment,
the
employer
may
reject
an
applicant
based
on
their
criminal
record
after
the
assessment.
Only
if
the
employer
can
reasonably
conclude
that
the
applicant
would
present
an
unacceptable
risk
to
the
operation
of
the
business
or
the
co-workers
or
customers,
a
rejection
must
be
per
meant
presented
to
the
applicant
in
writing
with
an
opportunity
for
the
applicant
to
respond
to
the
determination.
F
These
standards
are
consistent
with
existing
state
law
and
federal
Yosi
guidance
in
2018,
the
fair
chance
hiring
law
was
amended
again
to
explicitly
prohibit
consideration
of
juvenile
records
during
the
hiring
process.
I
want
to
thank
you,
councilman
Jones,
for
spearheading
all
of
these
great
protections
and
so
Councilwoman
game
for
adding
the
juvenile
protections
as
well.
The
system
for
hiring
removes
significant
barriers
to
employment
and
provides
true
assistance
to
people
with
records
as
they
reintegrate
into
their
communities.
It
also
provides
greater
clarity
and
Gizeh
and
guidance
to
employers.
F
Since
our
law
was
passed
in
2011,
the
Commission
has
helped
to
ensure
effective
implementation
of
the
ordinance
through
education,
as
well
as
enforcement
through
outreach
efforts,
partnerships
and
trainings
we've
reached
hundreds
of
employers
and
thousands
of
people
with
criminal
records.
This
summer
the
Commission
ran
a
media
campaign
to
raise
awareness
and
provide
information
about
the
law
to
the
general
public
and
targeted
audiences
impacted
by
criminal
records,
informational
ads
in
English
and
Spanish.
Promoting
the
law
were
placed
on
bus
shelters,
websites
classified
ads
and
social
media.
Radio
ads
ran
on
english
and
spanish
language
stations.
F
Bilingual
posters
and
distribution
materials
were
provided
to
area
prisons,
libraries
and
governmental
district
offices.
Additionally,
outreach
teams
canvassed
high-traffic
spots
and
written
and
gave
materials
out
to
places
such
as
barber
shops
and
coffee
shops
and
targeted
neighborhoods.
Since
the
fair
chance
hiring
law
went
into
effect,
the
Commission
has
investigated
154
complaints
related
to
non-compliance.
F
86
of
those
cases
were
filed
since
the
amendments
went
into
effect
in
2016.
The
large
majority
of
the
cases
of
the
cases
settled
during
the
investigation
process
oftentimes
with
benefits
awarded
to
the
complainants.
Only
one
case
has
proceeded
to
an
adjudicated,
juda
Kotori
hearing,
and
it
resulted
in
a
thirty
thousand
dollar
judgment
for
the
complaint
and
training
for
the
respondent
by
the
PCH.
Our
incidentally,
the
case
was
for
a
coach
for
young
people
at
a
charter
school
who
rejected
somebody
who
only
had
an
arrest
many
years
ago
on
his
record.
F
Other
examples
of
cases
demonstrate
the
benefits
of
individual
I,
of
the
individualized
assessment
required
in
section
nine
dash
three
504.
For
example,
an
individual
was
offered
a
position,
two
during
merchandise
to
retail
stores,
a
background
check,
revealed
a
drug-related
conviction
and
the
offer
was
withdrawn.
Had
the
employer
conducted
an
individualized
assessment,
they
would
have
found
that
over
seven
years
had
passed
since
the
conviction
the
person
had
no
prior
convictions
was
never
incarcerated
and
completed
parole
significantly.
F
The
individual
held
a
successful
position
in
a
similar
job
until
a
layoff
and
was
able
to
provide
good
employment
and
personal
references.
That
case
was
settled
through
mediation
and
the
individual
was
offered
a
full-time
job.
Another
individual
was
offered
a
position
as
a
telephone
and
a
telephone
call.
Center
representative
the
offer
was
rescinded
when
a
background
check
revealed
a
prior
drug
conviction.
The
nature
of
the
conviction
had
no
relationship
to
the
duties
of
the
position
for
which
the
individual
was
well
qualified.
F
Higher
education
is
an
important
means
to
enable
returning
citizens
or
any
individual
with
a
criminal
record
to
apply
additional
skills
and
more
fully
contribute
to
their
community
community
legal
services.
You'll
hear
from
in
ii
recently
released
a
report
encouraging
colleges
and
universities
in
philadelphia
to
end
the
practice
of
unnecessarily
asking
applicants
to
disclose
information
about
juvenile
and
criminal
records
on
their
application.
This
practice
has
a
disparate
impact
on
youth
of
color,
who
are
over
criminalized
at
alarming
rates.
F
An
addition,
research
has
shown
that
merely
asking
for
the
information
on
the
application
can
prevent
people
with
records
from
completing
applications
and
enrolling
in
school
local
area.
Universities
should
be
encouraged
to
remove
questions
of
prior
criminal
arrests
and
conviction
from
their
application
forms
and
to
make
non-mandatory
the
indicator
field
in
any
common
application
submission
disclosing
a
prior
record.
F
They
also
should
suggest
on
their
application
that
primary
consideration
will
be
given
to
the
individual's
qualifications
as
subsequent
criminal
record
information
is
identified
or
disclosed,
consideration
should
be
given
to
the
relevancy
of
the
can
diction
to
academic
pursuits.
The
time
passed
since
the
incident,
evidence
of
good
character
and
remediation
in
any
associated
risks.
The
PC
HR
in
collaboration
with
Councilman
Jones's
office,
is
preparing
to
disseminate
a
letter
to
the
higher
educational
institutions,
all
the
presidents
across
the
region.
F
In
support
of
this
position,
much
progress
has
been
made
since
the
passage
and
expansion
of
the
city's
fair
chance
hiring
long,
educational
and
outreach
efforts
have
raised
awareness
of
the
rights
of
individuals
with
criminal
records
as
applicable
to
employment
opportunities.
It
is
hard
to
assess
the
long-range
impact
of
fair
chance
laws
toward
removing
the
fears
and
stigmas
associated
with
a
criminal
record,
a
fear
that
often
deters
a
job
or
educational
candidate
from
initiating
an
application
in
the
first
place.
F
Yet
that
outlook
for
broader
opportunities
and
better
lives
is
anticipated
to
continue
to
improve,
building
upon
the
positive
outcomes
of
Philadelphia's,
fair
chance,
hiring
law,
the
PCA
to
our
supports,
encouraging
local
area
colleges
and
universities
to
enact
similar,
fair
chance
policies
for
those
seeking
higher
educational
opportunities.
Thank
you
again
for
the
opportunity
to
testify
and
I'm
happy
to
take
any
questions
so.
A
F
154
total
since
2011
83
of
which
recently,
but
that's
not
all
of
the
cases,
that
those
are
the
cases
that
were
investigating.
We
often
also
give
out
a
lot
of
advice
to
employers
and
lawyers
who
are
representing
employers
and
a
lot
of
advice
to
people
who
are
applying
for
jobs
too.
But
those
are
the
cases
that
we've
docketed
so.
A
As
councilman
green
can
speak
to
a
lot
of
laws
on
the
books,
a
lot
of
commissions
here.
If,
if,
if
a
tree
falls
in
the
woods
and
no
one
hears,
is
there?
Is
there
a
sound
and
without
you
following
up
on
this,
people
could
and
companies
could
ignore
it
and
act
as
though
it
never
was
passed.
So
I
want
to
thank
you
publicly
for
your
your
diligence
and
I
know
as
a
human
relations.
Commissioner,
at
the
state
that
you
were
rockstar
folk.
We
are
lucky
in
the
city
to
have
you
advocating
for
these
laws.
A
F
We're
I'm
gonna
pass
that
to
CLS.
We
are
your
office
and
you
and
I
are
in
the
process
of
drafting
a
letter
that
we're
gonna
send
to
all
of
them,
but
I
haven't
done
the
outreach
to
them
yet
CLS
has
and
I'll
pass
it
over
to
them,
but
doesn't
want
to
just
say.
Thank
you
to
you
and
also
thank
you
to
my
team.
You
know
we
are
extremely
committed
to
giving
people
with
criminal
records
in
Philadelphia
a
second
chance
and
I
speak
on
behalf
of
my
commissioners
as
well.
A
A
G
Thank
you
very
much
mr.
chair
and
just
wanted
to
say
and
express
my
thanks
and
apologize
for
being
a
little
bit
late,
but
expressing
my
support
for
bill
number
one.
Eight,
zero,
six,
nine
nine
as
well-
but
you
know
I
also
want
to
thank
the
audience
for
being
out
here
and
raising
attention
to
this
critical
issue.
Colleges
must
be
about
opportunity.
It's
supposed
to
be
about
possibilities
for
young
people,
it's
not
about
closing
off
avenues
because
of
things
that
were
done
in
the
past
that
were
also
redeemed.
G
So,
thank
you
for
your
bravery,
thank
you
for
your
courage
and
speaking
out
Thank
You
Commissioner
for
being
so
great
about
all
of
that,
and
then
just
for
clarity.
You
know
I
just
wanted
to
get
that
number
right.
How
could
you
just
repeat
it
loud
and
clear
for
the
record?
How
many
cases
have
you
had
to
deal
with
with
the
Box
again,
so
these.
F
Are
a
hundred
and
fifty-four
complaints
since
the
law
was
originally
passed
in
2011
and
86
of
those?
Since
the
amendments
in
2016
and
the
amendments
mean
everything
to
us,
it
was
very
difficult
before
we
had
this
process
of
getting
someone.
Someone
has
to
get
a
conditional
offer
of
employment
first
before
their
criminal
record
was
run,
was
very
hard
for
us
to
figure
out
before
the
amendments
why
someone
didn't
get
the
job
could
have
been
for
a
host
of
reasons
and
the
employer
always
had
an
excuse.
F
Now
someone
gets
a
conditional
offer
of
employment
and
that
and
that
offer
is
rescinded,
and
that
gives
us
a
moment
and
they
tell
him
why
it's
rescinded
and
that
when
we
get
to
have
that
conversation,
what
was
the
nature
of
the
crime?
When
did
it
occur,
and
what
is
the
connection
to
the
job
that
you're
looking
for
as
well
as
all
of
the
evidence
of
rehabilitation
that
we're
looking
for
that
might
include
college
and
higher
education?
Yes,.
G
And
thank
you
as
well
for
sending
that
letter
of
information
and
just
a
reminder
about
the
importance
that
we
can't
discriminate
against
people.
But
just
out
of
curiosity
again,
what
is
the
number
of
investigators
in
in
the
Commission
that
works
on
all
of
these
cases,
I
mean
as
a
whole
Commission
eight,
eight
okay
and
your.
F
G
G
You
know
again,
I
think
you
do
heroic
work
for
the
number
of
investigators
that
you
have,
but
I
think
it's
clearly
a
clear
responsibility
in
our
cities
on
our
city
and
that
we
need
to
as
we
work
on
struggling
the
civil
rights
and
protections
for
our
residents
and
for
our
young
people
that
we're
clearly
gonna
have
to
expand
enforcement.
I,
don't
think
it's
so
much
on
the
end
of
it
letting
employers
know.
Many
of
them
are
amongst
our
largest
employers,
and
certainly
colleges
and
universities
have
whole
legal
departments
behind
them.
G
I
think
it's
really
our
people
who
need
to
know
who
are
applying
to
colleges
and
universities
as
well
as
advocates
and
our
other
members
that
that
they
have
that
City
Council
has
created
a
number
of
labor
protections
and
we
need
to
be
able
to
hold
many
people
and
institutions
accountable
for
them.
So
I'm
personally
grateful
for
all
the
work
that
you've
done.
I
think
that
there
needs
to
be
an
important
conversation
about
how
to
expand
enforcement
within
our
city
and
education
for
a
lot
of
our
workers
and
communities.
So
thank
you.
Thank
You,
Councilwoman,.
H
H
Consider
we
were
in
the
same
class.
I
won't
say
how
long
that
was
what
we
just
had.
It
just
had
a
reunion
on
Friday,
yes,
I'm
curious
in
reference
to
I
know
the
work
of
the
Commissioner
in
relations
more
in
an
investigatory
body
by
enduring
the
investigations
you're
doing
and
also
the
work
you've
done,
a
breakfast
to
ban
the
Box
curious.
Have
you
any
thoughts
and
ruffles
to
house
impact
of
poverty
listening
how
it
has
enabled
more
people
to
be
hired?
Who
may
not
have
been
hired?
H
One
of
the
concerns
I've
had
historically
with
these
type
of
measures
is
that
it's
under
our
Federal
Constitution
you're
not
supposed
to
be
penalized
twice
for
one
crime
and
once
someone
has
done
their
time
and
have
served
that
time,
reference
to
that
Commonwealth
and
federal
government.
They
should
not
have
to
continue
to
live
with
that
that
that's
in
going
forward
and
the
bandbox
is
always
been
one
of
those
type
of
things
that
has
that
stigma.
H
F
I
can
only
speak
in
terms
of
the
cases
that
we
have
that
come
to
our
office,
but
they
are
extremely
successful
and
have
been
since
the
first
rendition
of
the
law
was
very
easy.
When
employers
didn't
know
about
the
law,
we
would
just
tell
them.
We
gave
them
basically
send
them
a
letter
and
give
them
a
warning.
Take
this
question
off
your
application
and
they
just
did
it
99.9%
of
the
time
they
changed
software
and
their
computers.
They
would
go
to
their
national
offices,
the
corporate
offices,
to
start
getting
that
change
made.
F
Sometimes
these
are
employers
who
don't
know
about
the
law.
Sometimes
they
did
know
about
the
law
and
we're
trying
to
skirt
them,
and
each
case
is
different,
but
this
is
a
highly
highly
successful
and
again
the
the
barriers
that
we've
put
in
not
barriers.
The
steps
that
we've
put
in
place
now,
where
you
have
to
give
the
conditional
offer
of
employment
first,
has
made
it
so
clear.
It's
a
much
easier
law
to
enforce
than
you
know.
Our
discrimination
cases
come
in
often
times
with.
Someone
tells
us
their
allegations.
F
F
Band
the
Box,
fair
chance
hiring
is
so
much
more
clear
for
us
now
and
it's
so
clear
and
so
easy
that
it
makes
it
so
that
it's
it's
very
successful
so
to
the
extent
that
getting
people,
jobs
and
or
giving
them
a
large
amount
of
money
and
allowing
them
to
go
on
armed
with
knowledge
that
they
need
for
the
next
job
to
get
another
job.
To
the
extent
that
that's
helpful
to
alleviate
poverty,
I'd
say
we're
doing
pretty
well:
okay,.
H
F
Philadelphia's
got
one
of
the
best
laws
we
always
we
talked
to
our
national
national
II.
We
talked
to
our
colleagues
about
that.
All
the
time
Baltimore
in
fact,
just
basically
took
all
of
our
took
our
law,
took
our
information
and
copied
everything
and
just
put
their
logos
on
it.
We
were
happy
to
share
that
with
them.
Once
we
found
out,
they
took
it
from
us.
We
are
very
happy
to
have
them.
Do
that
as
well,
we
are
I.
F
Can
you
know
it
might
need
a
little
cheat
sheet
behind
me,
but
basically,
what
I
do
know
is
that
we
have
one
of
the
strongest
laws
and
that
other
people
are
trying
to
strengthen
their
laws
to
follow
us,
but
it's
it's
a
pretty
successful
venture.
This
is
not
it
used
to
be
taboo
to
talk
about
this.
It
is
not
taboo
anymore
and
when
we
first,
when
the
law
was
first
passed
in
2011,
employers
didn't
want
to
admit
that
they
were
hiring
people
with
records
and
I
feel
like
that
stigma
is
going
away
very
fast.
H
F
A
We
thank
you
for
taking
your
time
and
doing
that.
I
just
want
everyone
to
know
for
the
record.
In
the
second
rendition
of
banner
box,
there
was
some
dicey
language
that,
quite
frankly,
my
political
courage,
meter
and
between
you
CLS
and
prison
society.
They
would
not.
Let
me
out
my
office
I
mean
literally
not
let
me
out
until
we
straighten
that
out
and
I'm
forever
grateful
for
for
that
and
so
take
care
of
your
kids.
Thank.
F
A
I
Afternoon
my
name
is
Jamie
Gollum
I'm,
a
supervising
attorney
in
the
employment.
You
know
at
community
legal
services
and
I
also
co-lead
CLS's
youth
justice.
The
employment
unit
at
Community,
Legal
Services,
has
been
at
the
forefront
of
advocating
for
the
rights
of
people
with
criminal
records.
For
decades.
Every
year
we
represent
over
1,000,
low-income
Philadelphians,
who
are
struggling
to
access
employment
opportunities
because
of
a
record,
and
many
of
our
clients
are
desperate
to
find
any
job
entry-level
minimum
wage.
But
we
know
at
the
end
of
the
day
that
entry-level
minimum
wage
jobs
are
not
enough.
I
Our
clients
and
people
all
over
Philadelphia
need
and
deserve
access
to
the
education
and
training
that
will
allow
them
to
have
careers
that
pay
living
wages
so
that
they
can
support
themselves
and
their
families
with
dignity.
That
is
why
I
CLS
is
here
today
with
all
of
our
partners,
calling
on
Philadelphia
area
colleges
and
universities
to
end
educational
discrimination
against
people
with
records
by
banning
the
Box
on
their
applications,
ending
the
practice
of
asking
about
prior
criminal
histories,
we're
asking
Philadelphia
City
Council
to
help
us
and
encouraging
colleges
and
universities
to
ban
the
Box.
I
The
common
application,
which
is
a
centralized
process
through
which
applicants
can
apply
to
many
schools
at
once,
just
recently,
announced
that
it
is
ending
its
practice
of
asking
about
criminal
histories
on
the
common
application.
This
was
a
huge
victory
that
only
came
about
because
of
the
tireless
efforts
of
advocates
around
the
country,
many
of
whom
are
here
today,
but
now
the
ball
is
really
in
the
court
of
the
local
area,
colleges
and
universities,
who
each
one
by
one,
will
make
a
decision
about
whether
they're
going
to
continue
this
practice
of
asking
about
prior
records.
I
So
it's
even
more
important
that
we're
here
today
asking
our
local
area,
colleges
and
universities
to
step
up
and
end
this
practice.
This
practice
is
so
caught
is
problematic
in
multiple
ways.
First,
it's
very
unclear
how
information
just
disclosed
on
college
applications
is
actually
being
used.
A
study
conducted
among
New
York
colleges
found
that
fewer
than
half
of
the
schools
that
collected
criminal
record
information
had
any
sort
of
policies
in
place
about
how
that
information
would
be
reviewed
and
60%
of
colleges
provided
zero
training
to
admissions
officers
about
how
to
review
and
evaluate
criminal
records.
I
Information
three
quarters
of
colleges
that
collected
the
information
used
it
in
making
decisions
about
admissions
and
one
quarter
had
absolute
automatic
bars
that
prevented
people
with
certain
types
of
records
from
being
admitted,
because
the
admissions
process
is
a
bit
of
a
black
box.
It's
impossible
to
know
exactly
how
our
Philadelphia
area
schools
are
evaluating
this
information,
but
we
call
upon
Philadelphia
area
colleges
and
universities
to
release
what,
if,
whatever
information
they
do
have
regarding
their
policies,
training
protocols
and
admissions
outcomes
for
individuals
who
disclose
a
prior
criminal
record
on
an
application.
I
In
addition
to
the
outright
denials
just
asking
about
whether
somebody
has
a
record
on
a
college
application
has
a
deterrent
effect
on
students
completing
that
application.
In
the
first
place.
A
study
among
the
State
University
of
New
York
system
or
SUNY
system
found
that
when
somebody
checked
the
box
thing,
they
had
a
prior
felony
conviction.
Sixty
two
percent
of
people
who
check
that
box
did
not
actually
end
up
completing
the
application.
I
This
is
called
felony
application
attrition
and
it
particularly
impacts
the
applicants
of
color
who,
because
of
racial
bias
in
our
system,
are
more
likely
to
have
a
record
because
of
the
discriminatory
and
detrimental
impact
that
was
found
from
the
SUNY
system.
Asking
this
question.
Suny
removed
its
questions
from
its
application,
starting
in
2018
in
a
city
like
Philadelphia
that
has
the
highest
poverty
rate
of
any
big
city
in
the
country.
This
issue
is
even
more
critical
than
it
was
in
New
York.
It's
estimated
that
500,000
philadelphians
have
some
kind
of
prior
record.
I
Philadelphia
also
is
one
of
the
highest
rates
of
mass
incarceration
of
any
big
city
in
the
country.
A
recent
study
found
that
had
mass
incarceration
not
occurred
between
night
from
between
1980
and
2000,
for
the
poverty
rate
would
be
20%
lower
today.
So,
if
Philadelphia
is
serious
about
reducing
its
poverty
rate,
ameliorating
the
impact
of
mass
incarceration
on
its
residents
must
be
a
top
priority
because
of
the
higher
wages
associated
with
higher
education.
Ending
educational
discrimination
for
people
with
records
is
critical
to
this
effort.
I
Moreover,
education
is
one
of
the
most
effective
ways
to
prevent
individuals
from
returning
to
prison.
Individuals
are
engaged
in
some
kind
of
educational
programming
or
training,
were
43
percent
less
likely
to
return
to
prison
and
had
employment
rates
up
to
28%
higher
upon
release.
So
a
Philadelphia
is
serious
about
ending
mass
incarceration,
ending
educational
discrimination
and
increasing
access
to
education,
both
inside
and
outside
of
prison,
is
critical.
I
Colleges
and
universities
have
justice
that
justify
their
discriminatory
practices
by
claiming
that
criminal
record
screening
is
important
for
Campus
Safety,
while
screening
for
prior
records
may
seem
like
an
easy
way
to
accomplish
this
noble
goal,
it
is
unfortunately
ineffective.
One
study
found
that
96%
of
college
seniors
wedding
aged
in
some
kind
of
misconduct
on
campus
had
no
prior
criminal
record.
Another
study
showed
that
crimes
on
campus
are
often
committed
by
students
with
no
records
and
are
more
likely
to
be
repeat.
I
96%
of
college
seniors,
who
were
found
to
have
engaged
in
misconduct
on
campus,
had
no
prior
criminal
record,
and
another
study
found
that
people
who
committed
offenses
on
campus
were
much
more
likely
to
be
associated
with
binge
drinking
Greek
life
and
college
athletics
and
were
not
likely
to
have
a
prior
criminal
record.
That
is
why
a
notable
national
survival
ad
organization
called
no
year
9,
that
empower
students
and
sexual
violence
on
campus
supports
this
campaign
to
ban
the
box
on
college
campuses.
I
Recent
research
also
shows
that
individuals
with
records
may
actually
be
more
likely
to
succeed
when
they're,
given
an
opportunity
than
those
without
records.
A
study
of
individuals
with
records
who
enlisted
in
the
military
showed
that
those
who
had
prior
records
were
actually
promoted
more
quickly
and
to
higher
ranks
and
were
no
more
likely
to
leave
for
poor
performance,
some
other
enlistees.
So
we
must
hold
local
colleges
and
universities
accountable
to
be
basing
their
admissions
policies
and
evidence-based
practices,
rather
than
falling
back
on
tired
stereotypes
about
people
with
prior
records.
I
We
must
also
look
to
leaders
like
Community
College
of
Philadelphia
CCP,
who
are
demonstrating
that
inclusion
works.
The
vice
president
for
academic
and
student
success
at
CCP,
dr.
Samuel
Hirsch,
has
explained
why
CCP
does
not
screen
for
criminal
records
on
its
application.
Stating
keeps
Community
College
of
Philadelphia
strongly
supports
open
access
to
higher
education
because
it
serves
as
the
foundation
for
strong
propers,
prosperous
communities.
I
Individuals
who
have
paid
their
debt
to
society
and
serve
their
sentence
deserve
a
chance
to
fully
develop
the
academic
abilities
that
will
enable
them
to
contribute
in
meaningful
ways
across
the
city.
With
more
than
a
quarter
of
local
residents
currently
living
below
the
poverty
line.
There
is
a
pressing
need
to
educate,
even
greater
numbers
of
Philadelphians
CCP's
reentry
support
project
is
a
model,
and
not
only
accepting
people
with
prior
records,
but
supporting
them
so
that
they
can
be
successful
in
achieving
their
goals.
I
We
need
more
of
our
local
colleges
and
universities
to
step
up
and
be
leaders
alongside
CCP,
so
that
people
have
an
option
when
they
complete
their
degree
at
CCP
to
go
on
and
obtain
a
four-year
degree.
Philadelphia
is
full
of
motivated
and
capable
individuals
with
prior
records
who
will
become
the
future
leaders
of
our
city.
If
they're,
given
the
chance,
rather
than
block
their
potential
and
miss
out
on
their
badly
needed
contributions,
Philadelphia
area
colleges
and
universities
should
adopt
best
practices
and
remove
questions
about
juvenile
and
criminal
records
from
their
applications.
I
This
simple
change
will
not
impact
campus
safety,
but
it
will
open
the
door
to
opportunity
to
countless
people
who
will
further
their
education
and
careers
while
enhancing
the
diversity
and
vitality
of
our
campuses,
communities
and
our
city
as
a
whole.
Thank
you
to
Councilman
Jones
and
to
city
council
for
holding
this
hearing
today
and
inviting
us
to
speak
on
this
issue
of
great
importance
to
our
city.
Thank.
J
Thank
you.
My
name
is
Tracy
Johnson
and
I'm.
Equal
justice
works,
fellow
sponsored
by
Greenberg
Charak
and
the
employment
unit
at
community
legal
services,
Thank
You,
councilman
Jones
and
the
rest
of
City
of
the
City
Council
for
the
opportunity
to
testify
before
you
today
about
the
urgent
need
to
ban
the
Box
on
college
applications
and
why
doing
so
is
necessary
for
our
city,
our
young
people,
communities
of
color
or
increasingly
for
women
as
a
legal
intern.
S.E.A.L.S
and
now,
as
a
fellow
I,
have
done
extensive
research
on
the
criminal
record.
J
Screening
policies
at
a
variety
of
Philadelphia
area
colleges
and
universities.
I
have
found
that,
when
an
applicant
answers
affirmatively
to
the
criminal
records
question,
the
college
admissions
committee
at
a
given
school
will
often
review
the
record
acts
applicants
to
complete
supplemental
forms
or
come
in
for
additional
interviewing.
J
As
you
can
imagine,
this
additional
process
can
cast
serious
doubts
on
an
applicant's
own
ability,
own
belief
about
their
ability
to
be
admitted
into
college
and,
as
such,
applicants
can
become
fearful
of
being
rejected
and
decide
not
to
complete
their
application
and
basically
self-select
out
none
of
the
schools
surveyed.
In
my
research
have
data
on
the
attrition
or
denial
rates
of
applicants
who
answer
affirmative
affirmative
ly
to
the
criminal
records
question.
However,
the
State
University
of
New
York
SUNY
conducted
a
study
looking
at
the
attrition
rates
for
applicants
with
felonies
on
their
criminal
record.
J
This
evidence
is
a
huge
barrier
to
access
in
higher
education
for
people
with
criminal
records
asking
about
criminal
records
on
college
applications
has
a
disproportionate
impact
on
young
people
of
color
due
to
inequities
such
as
the
over-policing
of
black
and
brown
neighborhoods,
and
the
alarming
rate
at
which
students
of
color
are
funneled
into
the
criminal
justice
system.
Because
of
school
discipline
issues
young
people
of
color
are
particularly
likely
to
have
juvenile
or
criminal.
J
It's
black
youth
r30
are
3.60
four
times
more
likely
to
be
arrested
and
prosecuted
in
juvenile
court
in
Philadelphia
than
their
white
peers.
Black
youth
make
up
only
thirteen
point
four
percent
of
the
youth
population,
but
accounted
for
forty
five
point.
Five
percent
of
juvenile
arrests-
black
black
young
adults
aged
ages,
aged
between
18
to
24
in
Pennsylvania,
account
for
thirty
one
point:
six
percent
of
arrests,
while
older
black
adults
account
for
twenty
six
point.
J
Eight
arrests
now,
given
the
racial
bias
and
inequity
that
exists
throughout
the
criminal
justice
system
acting
about
criminal
records
on
college
applications,
has
civil
rights
implications.
Title
six
of
the
Civil
Rights
Act
of
1964
prohibits
entities,
including
schools
that
receive
federal
funding
from
discriminating
on
the
basis
of
race,
color
or
national
origin.
Asking
about
criminal
records
on
applications
is
a
practice
that
disproportionately
causes
young
people
of
color
to
opt
out
of
applying
to
college
or
suffer
rejection
due
to
their
criminal
records.
J
There
is
no
justification
for
asking
about
criminal
history
on
college
applications,
especially
given
its
exclusionary
impact.
To
be
sure,
there
is
no
research
indicating
that
screening
for
criminal
records
on
college
applications
or
turning
away
applicants
with
criminal
records
make
colleges
any
safer.
Research
does
show
that
opening
the
doors
to
higher
education
for
applicants
with
records
make
society
safer,
College
and
community
fellowships
reports
that
66
percent
of
incarcerated,
non-degree
earners
nationwide
are
likely
to
return
to
prison
within
three
years
of
their
release.
J
The
likelihood
drops
to
5.6
percent
for
a
bachelor
degree
recipients
and
less
than
one
percent
for
master's
degree
recipients.
Therefore,
asking
about
criminal
records
on
college
applications
shuts
out
scores
of
young
people,
women
and
people
of
color
with
criminal
records
without
any
legitimate
justification.
J
Through
my
fellowship
work,
I
examine
the
ways
in
which
criminal
justice
issues
have
an
intersectional
impact
on
the
lives
of
young
women
of
color
women
are
the
fastest-growing
demographic
in
the
prison
population
in
part
due
to
the
felt
world
war
on
drugs.
Black
women
in
particular,
are
now
as
likely
to
be
incarcerated
as
white
men
over
two-thirds
of
incarcerated
women
are
also
mothers
and
many
other
sole
wage
earners
and
their
families
as
such,
women
are
increasingly
suffering
the
consequences
of
having
a
criminal
record.
J
I
have
had
the
privilege
of
working
with
smart
and
vicious
women
who
are
denied
access
to
meaningful
and
gainful
employment
because
of
their
record
being
excluded
from
higher
education
adds
to
that
employment
barrier
barrier,
keeping
women
trapped
and
low
wage
jobs.
I
work
with
women
who
aim
to
become
teachers,
nurses
and
small
business
owners.
I
work
with
women
who
are
Hmong,
who
are
mothers
and
the
primary
caretakers
of
their
families.
J
Banning
the
box
on
college
applications
will
help
young
women
of
color
I
work
with
in
tain,
attained
an
education
that
will
afford
them
access
to
meaningful,
high-growth
work
which
will
ultimately
help
them
provide
for
themselves
and
their
families
that
depend
on
them.
Thus,
breaking
the
cycle
of
intergenerational
poverty.
I
testify
before
you
today,
and
a
very
hopeful
spirit.
I'm
hoping
that
City
Council
will
help
us
bring
attention
to
this
important
issue.
H
You
mr.
chair,
thank
you
both
for
your
testimony
for
the
work
that
Jemaine
Legal
Services
is
doing
in
this
area.
First
question:
have
you
had
any
conversation
with
any
of
local
college
universities?
I
know
you
mentioned
CCP
but
I'm,
true,
so
many
of
the
college
universities
in
response
to
this
inquiry.
Yes,.
J
So
in
my
research,
I
have
been
reaching
out
to
colleges
and
universities.
I
have
reached
out
to
Penn
to
University
of
Pennsylvania
temple
and
LaSalle
and
left
messages
for
Drexel
and
Philadelphia
University.
So
so
far,
no
college
has
any
information
about
denial
rates
or
attrition
rates,
and
they
they
just
have
really
different
policies
about
what
they're,
what
they're
going
to
do
moving
forward.
Now
that
the
common
application
has
dropped.
J
H
You
can
do
a
background
check
after
the
committee
made
some
initial
decision
of
granting
acceptance
to
the
school,
because
I
agree
with
you
in
your
perspective
that
people
may
be
discouraged
and
applying
when
they
see
that
type
of
information
request
on
an
application
and
think
of
the
name
will
not
get
accepted
anyway,
so
why
they
complete
the
application
and
I
guess
from
my
experience,
having
gone
through
the
mission
process
best
for
both
through
an
undergraduate
and
also
law
school.
Ultimately,
what
I
think
in
the
mission
officers
trying
to
do
is
identify
someone?
H
H
Experience
have
come
out
of
that
a
different
person
and
is
able
to
say
this
is
something
I
did
and
I've
been
able
to
achieve,
and
now
I'm
here
trying
to
enhance
myself
to
education
or
the
type
of
people
that
you
probably
would
want
in
your
school,
and
when
you
have
something
on
your
application
that
basically
sends
a
red
flag
or
a
red
light
to
a
potential
applicant.
Well,
you
may
not
get
accepted
you
shouldn't
come,
that's
not
allowing
not
only
the
school
to
benefit
from
potential
applicants.
Who
could
be.
H
You
know
prom
alumni
when
they
finish,
but
also
it's
robbing
the
student
population
of
other
people
that
you
be
part
of
the
OP
that
population
that
they
also
can
learn
from,
because
college
is
not
just
a
opportunity
for
individuals
to
learn
from
a
professor,
but
also
from
individuals
to
learn
from
each
other,
as
well
as
professors
and
I.
Think
using
the
fair
chance
hiring
law,
as
could
be
a
model
for
college
and
universities
that,
if
you
feel
you
need
to
do
some
type
of
investigation
best
without
after
the
application
process
occurred.
A
G
You
very
much
mr.
chair
and
again
I
just
want
to
acknowledge
the
tremendous
work
that
CLS
has
done
in
this
area
were
incredibly
grateful.
Earlier.
We
were
talking
a
little
bit
about
how
commissioner
Lando
is
a
rock
star,
but
I
want
to
emphasize
a
rock
here
like
as
in
likes
our
sticking
with
us
not
just
entering
and
exiting
stage
and
rocking
it,
but
just
staying
with
us
as
incredible
partners
as
we
try
to
work
through
the
complicated
areas
in
which
you
know
really
discriminatory.
G
Practices
can
find
their
way
through,
maybe
not
the
most
overt
ways
in
which
these
things
happen,
but
through
the
really
insidious
ways
in
which
like
ban
the
box
and
criminal
justice,
records
can
have
on
and
disciplinary
records
actually
can
have
on
future
opportunities.
So
a
couple
of
questions
are:
do
you
have
we've
been
doing
a
lot
of
work?
Obviously
together
as
well
on
the
juvenile
justice
front?
Do
you
have
a
sense
of
how
high
school
disciplinary
records
can
be
used
against
college
applicants
like?
Is
it
the
same
thing
as
I
know?
G
I
A
common
application
actually,
when
it
came
out
recently
to
say
we're
going
to
stop
asking
about
criminal
histories
on
the
common
application.
They
explicitly
stated
they
were
not
banning
the
box
so
to
speak
for
student
disciplinary
records.
The
reason
they
put
forth
was
that
there
was
more
consistency
about
how
that
information
was
being
disclosed
and
used,
and
so
they
didn't
feel
the
same
urgency
around
dropping
that
question
from
its
application.
I
So,
unfortunately,
student
discipline,
history
is
still
going
to
be
asked
on
the
common
application,
whereas
the
criminal
history
question
would
be
left
up
to
the
individual
schools
and
at
least
at
all,
the
applications.
I
believe
we've
looked
at
for
individual
schools
that
either
have
their
own
application.
In
addition
to
the
common
app
or
just
have
their
own
application.
I
They
asked
both
about
criminal
history
and
about
prior
disciplinary
record
and
I
would
say
it's
the
same
kind
of
black
box
situation
where
people
don't
really
know
how
that
information
is
being
used
because
schools
are
not
keeping
data
on
that
may
not
have.
Policies
on
may
not
train
their
admissions
staff
about
how
to
view
that,
and
especially
with
you
know,
issues
tracy
reference
with
the
school-to-prison
pipeline.
We
know
that
that
is
another
barrier,
so
that
is
something
that
needs
to
be
continued
to
be
part
of
this
conversation
as.
G
Well-
and
I
really
do
want
to
thank
both
of
you,
but
especially
miss
Johnson,
for
like
articulating
out
so
clearly
the
racial
implications
of
how
this
impacts,
especially
our
young
women,
but,
of
course
our
black
men
and
boys,
especially
so,
and
and
I-
think
you
touched
on
this
already,
but
you've
just
noticed
like
a
lack
of
knowledge,
if
not
some
level
of
ignorance
on
behalf
of
admissions
staff
at
these
universities
about
what
the
responsibilities
are
and
certainly
about
the
nuances.
Could
you
just
speak
a
little
bit
more
to
what
your
understanding
has
been
about?
J
They
said
they
look
at
whether
it
was
a
seer
how
serious
the
record
may
be,
and
again
it's
just
given
like
the
research
that
Jamie
testified
to,
which
is
the
training
that
people
have
about
what
they
can
consider,
what
considerations
they
make
and
their
understanding
of
how
people
come
to
be
involved
with
the
criminal
justice
system.
I
will
argue
that
all
of
you
I
don't
have
research
on
how
how
all
of
that
type
of
necessary
skill
is
applied
to
reviewing
the
criminal
records,
question
and
but
I
do
understand.
G
F
G
I
think
that
those
are
very
helpful
love
to
keep
working
with
you
on
that
in
you,
you
know
your
recommendations,
for
us
are
extremely
helpful
and
important.
I
mean
oh
right
now
we're
having
a
national
discussion
in
our
federal
courts
about
affirmative
action.
You
know
as
an
asian-american
I
am
firmly
in
support
of
affirmative
action.
G
You
know
admissions
if
that's
even
called
that,
while
others
are
completely
seen
doors
shut
down
simply
because
of
what
we
know
to
be
pretty
discriminatory
actions
that
happen
through
the
disciplinary
encrypted
criminal
justice
process.
So
I
really
want
to
thank
CLS
both
of
you
all
of
our
advocates
for
raising
your
voices
and
and
shining
a
light
on
that,
because
it's
really
gonna
have
to
be
a
major
change
in
how
we
look
at
these
practices
and
undo
them.
So
thank
you.
Thank
you.
Thank.
D
J
D
A
A
We're
going
to
we're
going
to
take
an
action
step,
and
you
know
sometimes
debunking
fact
from
fiction
is
a
step
in
the
right
direction.
Other
times
letting
people
know
that
this
is
a
in
many
cases,
a
city
and
regional
and
national
asset
that
we
depend
on
to
produce
educated
individuals
in
a
diverse
way
without
discriminating,
and
then
we're
going
to
we're
going
to
push
that
point
so
see
no
more
questions.
Thank
you
for
your
testimony
and
we
appreciate
your
advocacy
thank.
A
B
K
Alright,
hello,
my
name
is
CH
Carson
and
I.
Am
the
manager
of
knowyour
9
I
am
here,
does
a
so
represent
New
Year
9,
a
survivor
and
youth
led
project
of
advocates
for
youth
that
works
directly
with
survivors
and
empower
students
to
end
sexual
violence
in
schools.
Our
survivors,
whose
educates
whose
experiences
with
sexual
violence,
had
detrimental
and
lasting
impacts
on
our
education.
We
are
deeply
concerned
by
current
approaches
to
juvenile
and
criminal
records
that
bar
access
to
education
and
as
an
advocate,
who
works
to
ensure
all
students
have
access
to
education.
K
Sexual
violence
is
an
epidemic
on
college
campuses
about
one
in
five
women
and
not
gender
non-conforming
people
will
be
assaulted.
While
they
are
students
and
as
survivors
who've
experienced
this
violence
firsthand,
we
are
invested
in
the
safety
of
students
on
campus.
However,
we
also
know
that
asking
about
criminal
records
is
not
a
solution,
particularly
when
the
vast
majority
of
assaults
on
campuses
are
perpetuated
by
people
without
criminal
records
for
their
more
survivors.
Many
survivors,
including
myself,
were
assaulted
by
privileged
men
without
a
criminal
record
and
holding
folks
with
criminal
records.
K
Different
standards
will
do
little
to
hold
these
privileged
perpetrators
of
sexual
violence
accountable.
If
schools
are
concerned
about
safety
and
educational
opportunities
for
survivors,
they
should
move
to
arrive
for
survivors
with
fair
procedural
protections,
provide
students
with
access
to
crisis
counseling,
as
well
as
provide
education
on
consent
and
alcohol.
Instead
of
keeping
schools
safe,
the
practices
of
asking
about
criminal
history
bars
many
survivors
from
education,
all
together,
84%
of
girls
and
juvenile
detention
have
experienced
family
violence
and
90%
of
girls
and
juvenile
systems.
Self-Disclose
trauma.
K
Girls
and
especially
black
girls,
are
often
referred
to
the
criminal
legal
system
from
schools
who
have
been
criminalized
their
behavior
and
that
those
behaviors
that
are
common
among
those
that
experience
trauma,
such
as
fighting
with
peers,
disrupting
class
and
talking
back
girls,
are
additionally
criminalized
for
acts
of
survival,
such
as
running
away
truancy
and
sex
trafficking.
Girls
who
have
faced
trauma
and
sexual
violence
should
have
the
same
rights
to
access
to
education
as
other
survivors
as
survivors
who
have
fought
and
depended
on
title
9,
which
protects
students,
access
to
education
after
experiencing
discriminatory
gender
violence.
K
We
strongly
support
banning
the
Box
proposals
that
safeguard
students,
civil
rights,
racial
disparities
are
documented
in
the
arrest
and
prosecution
of
every
type
of
crime.
In
fact,
the
criminal
legal
system
is
so
pervasive
in
the
lives
of
black
men
that
more
black
men
have
been
have
spent
time
in
prison
than
have
a
college
degree
because
of
the
'vote
overt
racial
disparities
in
the
criminal
legal
system,
policies
and
practices
that
screen
for
criminal
backgrounds
are
not
racially
neutral.
As
a
result,
these
practices
violate
title
six
of
the
Civil
Rights
Act.
K
They
betray
the
principles
of
the
civil
rights
movement,
which
sought
to
expand
higher
education.
Education
opportunities
for
all
denying
educational
opportunities
to
young
people
doesn't
make
our
communities
any
safer
when
education
has
been
proven
to
be
one
of
the
most
effective
methods
to
reduce
recidivism,
policymakers
must
work
to
dismantle
legal
and
financial
barriers
that
are
people
from
access
to
education.
K
Instead
of
serving
invoking
survivors
and
defense
of
discriminatory
policies,
schools
should
ban
the
box
and
recognize
that
once
an
individual
serves
out
their
sentence,
their
punishment
should
end
if
schools
feel
the
need
to
learn
about
a
student's
criminal
record
in
order
to
provide
education
and
support
to
that
student.
That
inquiry
should
take
place
after
a
student
has
been
in
to
the
institution.
Thank
you.
L
Glad
to
be
here
and
I,
thank
you
so
much
for
having
me
I.
Thank
you
for
CLS
for
allowing
me
to
give
a
testimony.
This
is
my
second
time
this
year
being
in
front
I
was
here
earlier
this
year
with
a
president
guy.
We
were
talking
about
the
reentry
program
from
CCP
and,
as
always,
this
is
honor
and
a
privilege.
Miss
Blackwell.
Your
husband
was
my
hero
I'm
here
it's
a
bittersweet,
I'm
I'm
speaking
on
something
that
I'm
just
now
beginning
to
live.
L
Firsthand
I've
been
home
for
a
little
bit
over
three
and
a
half
years
after
being
incarcerated,
locked
in
a
bathroom
from
almost
two
decades.
I
came
home,
anxious
to
begin
to
live
and
to
educate
myself,
because,
while
I
was
in
got
incarcerated,
the
late
90s
and
during
that
time,
I
didn't
come
home
till
2015.
L
During
that
time
they
took
the
colleges
out
of
the
institution's
where
we
were
left
to
fend
for
ourselves
to
not
only
re-educate
ourselves
but
rehabilitate
ourselves
and
to
actually
find
out
and
figure
out
what
we
wanted
to
be
when
we
grew
up.
I'm
still
doing
that
now
and
I'm
happy
to
say
that
education
was
that
thing
that
not
only
freed
me,
but
it
empowered
me
while
I
was
upstate
I
had
the
privilege
and
the
blessing
to
be
educated
by
most
of
the
juvenile
lifers
who's
coming
home.
L
Now
they
not
only
showed
us
how
to
live
behind
the
walls.
They
showed
us
how
to
be
responsible
adults.
So
again,
it's
bittersweet,
because
I'm
not
just
home,
to
discuss
recidivism
and
even
campaign
for
advocacy
for
rights,
but
I
am
my
brother's
keeper
and
restorative
justice.
Is
my
middle
name:
I
want
to
convince
men
to
be
the
men
that
they've
all
been
called
to
be
so
I
affectionately.
Call
myself
the
other
Jim
Baker,
because
I'm,
a
self-proclaimed
minister,
I,
don't
believe
I
need
any
education
from
a
college
book
to
be
a
minister.
L
In
fact,
my
faith
tells
me
that
what
Paul
tells
me
that
I
am
called
to
reconcile
those
that
have
been
reconciled.
So
I
know
that
this
ministry
that
I've
started
now
has
got
a
purpose
and
a
plan,
and
their
purpose
is
to
educate
every
black
man,
young
and
old,
because
I
am
an
old
dog
that
has
been
taught
a
new
trick.
L
I
came
home
in
my
50s
and
after
being
incarcerated
in
my
30s
and
I'm,
again,
not
bitter,
but
I'm
excited
about
showing
others
how
to
live,
because
I've
now
learned
how
to
die
to
self
to
live
for
others.
So
education
has
been
my
way
of
not
only
coping.
The
reentry
program
is
CCPs
showed
me
how
to
not
only
transition
academically,
but
it
showed
me
how
to
socially
get
back
into
good
graces
with
family
friends
and
my
community
I've
started
again.
L
The
ministry
that
affectionately
called
mad
boys
ministries
and
the
acronym
is
mature
aggression
with
dignity,
meaning
that
we're
allowed
to
be
man
as
Paul
says,
but
we
can't
sin
so
the
be
angry
and
sin
not
means
that.
There's
a
whole
lot
of
obligation
on
a
man
to
not
only
to
stand
up
for
what
he
believes
in,
but
to
be
that
same
man
in
the
face
of
adversity.
So
I
figured
this
thing
out.
L
This
September
at
West
Chester,
but
found
out
what
ban
the
box
tastes
like
I
graduated
with
honors.
They
were
excited
about
that.
My
essay
they
said
was
exemplary,
like
I
knew
how
to
put
them
words
together,
but
once
they
saw
me
check
that
box
that
I
was
a
convicted
felon
they've
been
dragging
their
feet
every
since
not
only
that,
but
the
three
other
my
three
other
cohorts
and
colleagues
that
were
accepted
also
for
the
application
process,
which
meant
that
we
had
to
interview.
L
We
were
all
called
to
interview
the
same
day
and
it
was
a
armed
police
officer.
They
were
wrong.
I
myself,
I
suffer
from
PTSD
from
the
military.
I
was
locked
in
missile
silos
for
sometimes
eight
days
at
a
time,
so
need
us
to
save
me
being
incarcerated,
locked
in
a
bathroom
kind
of
trigger
some
of
that
stuff.
L
So
when
I
came
home,
I
found
out
that
cognitive,
behavior
and
holistic
treatments
are
not
only
good
for
the
goose,
but
it's
good
for
the
gander
and
I've
enjoy
men
how
to
recapture
their
life
and
to
even
dream
again.
So
education
has
been
the
key.
So
when
we
were
sitting
in
the
room
in
the
armed
guard
was
in
there
to
guide
it
went
in
before
me,
freaked
out,
he
couldn't
take
it.
He
and
leave
you
sweating
now,
I'm
most
about
sick
to
his
stomach.
L
So
our
mentor,
who
was
with
us,
told
us
that
we
as
well
stop
that
process
and
because
we
stopped
it,
we
we
didn't
say
that
we
weren't
going
to
do
it.
We
said
we
wanted
to
postpone
it
so
that
we
can
prepare
for
it
once
they
found
that
out
again,
they've
been
dragging
their
feet
and
doing
all
kinds
of
tricky
and
things
just
make
it
harder
for
us
to
get
in
there,
but
I.
Thank
my
God
that
I've
got
a
little
resilience
with
this
age.
L
The
little
fortitude
in
my
pocket
that
this
isn't
gonna
stop
me
and
it
isn't
gonna
stop
me
because
I
got
to
do
this
for
Pookie
and
Ray
Ray
Pookie
Ray
Ray
on
them
corners
I've
been
in
a
little
side.
Note
I
lost
my
mom
this
past
February,
so
she
wasn't
able
to
see
me
walk
down
the
hall,
but
it
was
a
guy
on
the
corner
s
who
had
got
killed
two
days
before
me.
L
That
I
was
convincing
him
that
if
he
would
just
go
to
school,
he
would
figure
out
what
he
wanted
to
be
when
he
grew
up.
So
he
had
this
planet
pop,
a
bottle
of
champagne
with
me,
but
I
kept
telling
Hill.
We
can't
be
saying
that
or
allowed
him
on
parole.
So
when
he
passed
my
mother
passed
after
it
and
it
made
it
extremely
hard
for
me
to
graduate
on
time
but
as
I
said,
I
had
to
do
it
for
others,
not
just
for
myself.
L
A
I'm
sorry,
for
what
you're
experiencing
in
your
next
leg
of
your
journey,
but
have
patience
because
you
know,
as
we
enlighten
others,
you
know,
doors
open,
I
like
to
say
the
discounsel
closes
jails
and
opens
opportunities.
Yes,
and
this
is
a
step
in
the
right
direction
to
do
that,
we
we
intend
to
be
as
persistent
and
as
a
patient.
You
have
to
make
change
like.
L
D
A
D
G
Yeah
very
briefly,
I
want
to
thank
this
panel,
especially
folks
who
are
closest
to
the
pain,
have
to
be
part
of
the
solution,
and
it's
really,
you
know
we
express
a
ton
of
gratitude
for
you
for
sharing
your
stories,
miss
Carson
for
being
a
survivor
and
for
speaking
out
for
victims
and
showing
solidarity
too,
as
well
as
deeply
moving
to
all
of
us
on
council
and
we're
just.
You
know
very
grateful
for
all
of
you
and
you
know,
I.
G
Think
one
of
the
things
that
that
I'm
interested
in
is
whether
you've
seen
any
receptivity
from
higher
education.
It
doesn't
have
to
be
the
college
or
universities
themselves,
but
folks
who
are
involved
in
higher
education
to
be
part
of
the
reentry
coalition
that
you've
built
out
together.
Have
you
have
you
seen
interest
from
folks
who
are
in
and
around
higher
education.
L
G
So
well,
we'll
keep
looking
for
those
folks
make
sure
that
they're
at
the
table
absolutely
I.
Think
among
the
things
that
I've
tried
to
do
on
city
council's
work
really
hard
with
committee
legal
services
and
others
to
make
sure
that
we
completely
closed
the
possibilities
of
asking
about
juvenile
records
in
terms
of
hiring,
and
certainly,
if
we're
closing
access
to
juvenile
records,
we
should
be
opening
up
doors
of
opportunity
with
our
with
with
opportunities
for
our
education.
G
I
mean
that's
really
what
it's
all
about:
it's
not
just
about
employers,
it's
also
about
our
all
opportunities
for
education.
So
we
want
to
see
that
happen
and
I
know
the
Councilwoman
as
chair
of
the
Committee
on
education.
Of
course,
our
great
chair
of
public
safety,
councilman
Curtiss,
Jones,
jr.
and
myself
as
chair
of
children,
either
gonna
do
everything
we
can
to
be
in
partnership
with
you
to
make
sure
that
we
see
some
advancement
in
this
area
too.
Thank
you.
Thank
you.
Thank.
H
Thank
You
mr.
chair
I
just
wanted
to
follow
up.
Thank
you
one
for
your
willingness
to
testify
and
be
an
advocate
and
being
like
to
others
and
sharing
your
story
and
taking
your
walk
in
the
path
that
you've
been
doing
so
in
reference
to,
and
that
was
at
Westchester
and
I.
Just
wanna
make
sure
I
understand
for
the
record
that
they,
you
have
been
accepted.
I've.
L
H
L
On
that,
okay,
but
the
the
irony
and
the
grace
in
this
is
that
my
student
financial
aid
is
still
good
at
community,
so
the
classes
always
want
to
take.
They
are
cheaper
and
community,
so
I'm
still
on
that
path.
So
September
is
to
start.
They
knock
on
wood,
but
if
it
doesn't
come
through
I'm
not
going
to
stop
I'm
going
to
keep
knocking
on
that
door
and
and
probably
go
to
another
college
in
Ibiza.
H
And
so
it's
a
your
interview
is
coming
up.
Yes,
let's
do
it
yes,
and
and
your
interview
with
either
Provost
or
assistant
dean
emissions
or
some
issues
admissions
nice,
and
so
they
basically
announce
to
you
that
your
academic
work,
its
Community
College
foot
office,
but
exemplary,
great
opportunities,
great
things,
but
they
still
have
this
concern
that
they
have
memorized
to
your
you
being
an
A
student
in
their
University.
H
H
We
must
be
thinking
like
I
was
thinking
that,
because
of
what
you've
been
able
to
do
at
CCP,
I
would
think
that
either
someone
in
the
higher
that
institution
could
send
a
letter
recommendation
or
even
make
a
phone
call
on
your
behalf
to
on
West
Chester
University,
because
just
like
other
college
universities,
CCP
send
students
to
West
Chester.
Just
like
I
said,
students,
the
temple
other
University
of
colleges,
and
so
they
would
have
a
perspective
on
the
type
of
student
in
the
Callister
and
that's
going
to
be
successful
at
his
universities
and
akale
bake.
H
Clearly,
based
on
your
academic
record
and
you're
standing
at
Community,
College
of
Philadelphia
you've
met
that
threshold
in
some.
So
I
would
hope
that
most
minute
cops
Philadelphia
will
be
able
to
make
that
entree
on
your
behalf
to
the
leadership
of
West
Chester
University,
saying
that
this
is
the
type
of
person
that
really
should
be
in
your
university,
because
he
can
make
a
demonstration
to
other
students
about
what
life
is
about
and
how
you
be
a
successful
leader
on
campus.
A
M
Good
afternoon
my
name
is
Mary
Enoch
Elizabeth,
Baxter
I'm,
a
mother,
musician
artist,
criminal
justice
reform
advocate
in
higher
ed
champion.
I
am
also
on
the
board
of
Temple
University's
Hope
Center
for
college
community
and
justice,
as
well
as
a
fill
of
your
mural
arts,
reimagining
reentry
fellow
featured
on
a
massive
mural
at
the
Municipal
Services
Building
right
now,
I'm
also
as
a
right
of
return,
fellow,
where
I've
been
working
extensively
on
the
dignity
for
incarcerated
women
at
and
a
re-entry
think
tank.
M
M
That
transpired
during
my
incarceration
and
after
I
just
remember:
logging
in
and
just
logging
out-
and
this
went
on
for
a
couple
months,
and
it
was
like
the
day
before
that
I
had
to
get
it
in
or
I
would
the
deadline
was
there
and
I
just
pushed
through?
But
you
know
that's
me,
you
know
I'm
resilient.
You
know,
I've
been
through
a
lot.
I've
been
able
to
just
press
forward,
but
a
lot
of
my
period
cohort
members.
They
aren't.
We
have
70%
of
people
that
fill
out
this
application
that
stop
once
they
reach
that
question.
A
A
F
L
You
know
dropping
me
off
or
dropping
something
off
for
me.
They
see
that
and
it's
like
tangible
evidence.
It's
that
faith,
that
substance
of
things
hoped
for
that
evidence
that
they
see
I
got
that
they
want
sue.
So
I
really
just
want
to
figure
out
how
to
just
educate
them.
I
want
I
want
to
continue
on
the
school,
not
just
to
keep
my
lungs
in
deferment,
but
I
just
want
to
go
to
school,
so
that
I
can
eventually
get
a
doctors
and
right
to
textbooks.
L
A
You
so
much
guys
for
your
testimony.
The
only
thing
I
will
say
is
the
education
doesn't
stop
in
the
classroom
when
you're
in
the
hallways,
when
you're
in
the
study
halls
it's
when
you're
in
the
lunch
rooms
right,
we
have
two
activities,
you're
meeting
positive
people
that
can
be
a
catalyst
for
other
opportunities,
and
so
you
surround
yourself
with
successful
people.
Success
seems
to
find
you
quicker.
So
are
there
any
other
questions
for
this
panel?
Seeing
none.
Thank
you
for
your
testimony.
Thank
you.
Miss
Williams.
A
B
A
N
Afternoon,
City
Council
members.
Thank
you
for
your
time.
Today.
My
name
is
Courtney
Bowles
I'm,
an
artist
activist
teacher
and
I,
have
the
incredible
honor
of
being
the
co-director
of
the
reentry
think-tank,
which
is
a
program
that
looks
to
individuals
and
reentry
as
the
experts
that
the
city
needs
to
hear.
From
most
over
the
past
year,
we've
partnered
with
community
legal
services
on
the
campaign
to
ban
the
box
from
college
applications.
We
created
a
petition
and
have
had
over
1,000
individuals
across
the
city,
show
their
support.
N
We've
gone
to
Temple
University
three
times
where
we've
had
productive
conversations
with
students,
teachers,
neighbors
alumni
campus
staff
and
college
graduates,
all
of
whom
have
agreed
with
us
that
higher
education
should
be
accessible
to
everyone.
I
want
to
point
out
this
giant
stack
of
paper.
Here
we
brought
over
a
thousand
signatures
today
as
evidence
that
your
constituents
agree
that
we
should
ban
the
box.
We'd
also
like
to
acknowledge
the
evidence
packets
that
you
all
were
presented
with
earlier.
N
These
are
filled
with
powerful
artwork
created
by
those
in
entry,
reflecting
their
dreams,
hopes
and
demands
surrounding
access
to
higher
education.
Of
particular
note
is
a
copy
of
the
band.
The
Box
poem
that
you
all
will
hear
in
a
moment.
It's
written
by
Fellows
of
the
re-entry,
think
tank
and
printed
on
sheets
of
paper
made
from
criminal
records
by
women
and
the
people's
paper
coop
arts
and
Advocacy
fellowship.
N
There
are
so
many
talented
and
brilliant
people
in
Philadelphia
who
are
struggling
with
barriers.
That
reentry
creates
some
of
whom
you've
heard
from
today,
and
yet
they
still
manage
to
thrive
and
help
make
Philly
a
better
place.
Imagine
what
our
city
could
look
like
if
we
all
had
access
to
fulfilling
their
dreams
of
college
education
thanks
so
much
for
your
time
today
and
I
passionately,
encourage
you
to
ask
Philadelphia
colleges
and
universities
to
ban
the
box.
O
Thank
You
councilman,
Jones
and
city
council
for
holding
this
hearing.
My
name
is
mark
strand,
Quist,
I'm
honored,
to
share
the
room
with
so
many
amazing
lawyers
and
advocates
and
want
to
give
just
a
quick
shout
out
to
all
the
amazing
women
from
the
people's
paper,
co-op
and
reentry
think
tank
for
holding
up
these
beautiful
signs
that
they
made
for
the
hearing.
O
So
thank
you
all
for
being
such
a
powerhouses,
so
I
have
spent
the
past
10
years,
working
with
incarcerated
youth,
adults
and
formerly
incarcerated
men
and
women
and
teens
in
Philly
in
Virginia
and
around
the
country.
Our
projects
all
look
to
folks
in
the
system
or
or
people
who
have
been
through
the
system
as
the
experts
that
society
needs
to
hear
from
most
and
connect
their
sort
of
dreams,
demands
stories
with
advocates
and
organizers
to
impact
change.
Our
projects
have
closed
prisons,
passed
laws,
our
training,
an
entire
police
force
in
Richmond,
Virginia
and
locally.
O
We've
interviewed
over
1200
Philadelphians
with
criminal
records.
Asking
the
question.
If
you
were
in
power,
what
would
you
do
to
keep
people
free?
So
1200
Philadelphians
were
interviewed.
The
vast
majority
of
those
people
who
responded
talked
about
educational
opportunities,
not
because
education
is
a
silver
bullet.
We
all
know
that
employment,
housing,
the
health
services.
All
of
these
things
are
part
of
the
network
of
support
that
people
need,
but
that
they
understand
that
education
allows
for
people
to
unshackle
them
from
their
past
to
unlock
future
potentials.
O
You
know
people
don't
want
to
be
stuck
in
a
dead-end
job.
You
don't
want
to
be
sort
of
forced
into
you,
know,
low-wage
labor
for
the
rest
of
their
lives,
and
education
is
an
amazing
pathway
to
achieving
the
futures
that
all
of
us
want
for
ourselves.
Our
families
and
our
loved
ones.
I'm
gonna
shut
up
and
play
a
video,
because
this
work
again
is
about
listening
to
those
most
affected,
and
if
you
in
your
packets
find
the
poem
says
band
the
box
at
the
top
again,
that's
on
paper
made
from
shredded
criminal
records.
O
O
I,
imagine
you
all
recognize
a
few
faces
in
that
video
from
some
of
the
brilliant
folks
who
testified
today,
but
when
to
give
a
shout
out
to
Jim
Mary
Umar
Bay,
Anthony,
David,
Garvin
and
many
others
from
the
rancher
think
tank
her
in
the
audience
today
who
made
that
film
possible.
So
thank
you
again
for
your
time
and
please.
If
we.
O
A
A
Seeing
none
what
I
want
you
to
know
is
that
we're
going
to
take
this
opportunity
and
the
things
that
we
heard
today
and
we're
going
to
we're
going
to
ask
our
education
community
who
benefit
from
not
being
taxed
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
to
help
us
to
further
the
education
and
then
economic
contribution
of
people
who
go
to
those
institutions,
get
jobs
and
and
and
pay
their
way
through
their
tax
contributions,
and
so
we're
going
to
do
that.
We
want
to
work
with
you
and
offer
an
opportunity
to
to
teach
us
more
I've.
A
Seen
many
of
you
testify
before
and
I
know.
Sometimes
it
seems
like
you're
just
talking
and
we're
not
listening,
but
believe
we
hear
you
and
we
have
we're
on
it.
Tell
you
that
and
I
think
the
move
the
needle
is
moving
in
the
right
direction.
There
are
no
such
thing
as
throwaway
people.
Everybody
deserves
an
opportunity
for
a
second
act
and
a
third
act.
If
you
need
it.