WHEREAS
,
Millions of Americans - one in five adults - have arrest or conviction records that often follow them throughout their lives; and
WHEREAS
,
Individuals with criminal records are discriminated against on a very wide array of issues ranging from employment, housing, health care, public assistance the list is long, truly unknown and constantly growing; and
WHEREAS
,
Most employers either exclude voluntary disclosures by applicants or conduct criminal background checks, potentially derailing qualified workers who may have minor offenses or inaccurate records attributed to them; and
WHEREAS
,
Criminal convictions can prevent an ex-offender from moving into a federally subsidized housing facility or participating in a federally assisted housing program; and
WHEREAS
,
It is also difficult for an ex-offender to get housing in the private market because they often lack the financial resources for a security deposit, lack the employment and housing references for applications or may even appear in an internet search inquired by the landlord; and
WHEREAS, Ex-offenders may be ineligible for the TANF, SSI and Food Stamp benefits that they may otherwise be eligible for; and
WHEREAS, When reentering into their communities, ex-offenders often do not receive proper medical and substance abuse treatment and even lose their disability status; and
WHEREAS, In some states, criminal conviction can be a ground for termination of parental rights; and
WHEREAS, Criminal convictions may also be used to prevent ex-offenders from becoming a foster or adoptive parent, even if the crime was not relevant to parental abilities; and
WHEREAS, Those who have been convicted for the possession or sale of controlled substances may become ineligible for federal financial aid for higher education indefinitely; and
WHEREAS, Past convictions by legal residents have very severe immigration repercussions and can ultimately lead to deportation; and
WHEREAS, This is not an exhaustive list of the civil barriers that prevent ex-offenders from assimilating back into their communities but rather an introduction to the challenges ex-offenders face.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That City Council hereby authorize City Council's Committee on Public Safety to hold a public hearing to investigate the challenges and barriers effecting individuals with criminal records.
Donna Reed Miller
Councilwoman - 8th District
February 10, 2011