America has a history of being courageous, conquerors and brave. However, there are issues in its backyard that has either been ignored or over looked; that is the issue of the convicted felon. There are barriers that prohibit felons from obtaining employment, gaining occupational licensing and even voting. I learned in life that every situation or circumstance has a root. The convicted felon issue has roots that has been seeded throughout American history. I use my personal story growing up in Southside Jamaica Queens; then I give an essay of how I perceive these circumstances came about. Lastly, I turn to the laws of America. I attempt to show how the laws in America worked for the African American. In a nutshell, I attempt to show how American society has systematically created what we know as "The Felon"

Florida has nearly 101,000 inmates in 49 major state prisons and numerous correctional facilities called annexes and work camps.A clemency commutation of sentence and parole are alternate paths to the same goal, which is to release the inmate early. Both involve compassion, redemption, and forgiveness, and are the ultimate grant of a second chance. To get either, you must convince elected or appointed officials that the inmate will never commit another serious crime. However, clemency and parole involve different decision-makers, rules and timeframes.Here is the so-called secret sauce (the actual "how-to" steps to leave prison early), written by one of Florida's most distinguished clemency lawyers.

If you or a person you love faces challenges with the criminal justice system, this book will help you. In Prepare readers learn the journey ahead. People that face an arrest for the first-time may not know how to position themselves for best outcomes. They may not know how to start getting ready. In Prepare, and the accompanying course at ResilientCourses.com, readers will learn: -Steps preceding a criminal charge-How to work effectively with a criminal defense attorney-What factors to consider when deciding how to plead to an offense-How a criminal conviction will influence future earning power-How to influence a presentence investigation report-How to prepare a mitigation package to influence the sentencing judge-How to prepare for sentencing hearing and build a case for mercy-How to understand the First Step Act-How to understand options to make progress in prison-How to overcome collateral consequences of confinementJustin Paperny and Michael Santos wrote Prepare as part of their coursework at ResilientCourses.com. For decades they've been creating content to help people that face challenges with the criminal justice system. Regardless of whether a person has been charged with a DWI, a misdemeanor, or a felony conviction, in this era of mass incarceration, sanctions can be severe. When readers learn how to prepare early, they may start a self-advocacy campaign that can lead to the least burdensome sanction possible.For more details, visit ResilientCourses.com

A blueprint for criminal justice reform that lays the foundation for how model public defense programs should work to end mass incarceration. Combining wisdom drawn from over a dozen years as a public defender and cutting-edge research in the fields of organizational and cultural psychology, Jonathan Rapping proposes a radical cultural shift to a “fiercely client-based ethos” driven by values-based recruitment training, awakening defenders to their role in upholding an unjust status quo, and a renewed pride in the essential role of moral lawyering in a democratic society. Public defenders represent over 80% of those who interact with the court system, a disproportionate number of whom are poor, non-white citizens who rely on them to navigate the law on their behalf. More often than not, even the most well-meaning of those defenders are over-worked, under-funded, and incentivized to put the interests of judges and politicians above those of their clients in a culture that beats the passion out of talented, driven advocates, and has led to an embarrassingly low standard of justice for those who depend on the promises of Gideon v. Wainwright. However, rather than arguing for a change in rules that govern the actions of lawyers, judges, and other advocates, Rapping proposes a radical cultural shift to a “fiercely client-based ethos” driven by values-based recruitment and training, awakening defenders to their role in upholding an unjust status quo, and a renewed pride in the essential role of moral lawyering in a democratic society. Through the story of founding Gideon’s Promise and anecdotes of his time as a defender and teacher, Rapping reanimates the possibility of public defenders serving as a radical bulwark against government oppression and a megaphone to amplify the voices of those they serve.

In twenty-nine states and the federal court system, a convicted felon can practice law but cannot serve on a jury. In those jurisdictions, a felonious bar applicant undergoes an individualized screening as part of the professional licensing procedure. Yet, in those same jurisdictions, convicted felons are categorically barred from jury service. There are generally two proffered justifications for banning convicted felons from jury service: 1) lack of character and 2) an inherent bias. These justifications seemingly presume that convicted felons are static and uniformly threatening to the jury process. Yet, most jurisdictions that exclude convicted felons from jury service also permit convicted felons to practice law, ostensibly undermining any claim that convicted felons' character or biases make them permanently unsuitable to perform crucial legal roles. In this thesis, I argue that lawyers and jurors are equally vital to the justice process. I then contend that research contradicts views of character and/or biases that are static and unchanging. Rather, studies show that character and bias evolve and are situational. Thus, evidence suggests that a more tailored process for assessing the competency of jurors - like the individual assessments used to screen felonious bar applicants - is normatively superior to the categorical statutes at work in most jurisdictions. Individualized assessments also have the added benefit of promoting the principles of procedural justice; principals that have been linked to legal compliance and may facilitate convicted felons' successful reintegration.

Today, all but one U.S. jurisdiction restricts a convicted felon’s eligibility for jury service. Are there valid, legal reasons for banishing millions of Americans from the jury process? How do felon-juror exclusion statutes impact convicted felons, jury systems, and jurisdictions that impose them? Twenty Million Angry Men provides the first full account of this pervasive yet invisible form of civic marginalization. Drawing on extensive research, James M. Binnall challenges the professed rationales for felon-juror exclusion and highlights the benefits of inclusion as they relate to criminal desistance at the individual and community levels. Ultimately, this forward-looking book argues that when it comes to serving as a juror, a history of involvement in the criminal justice system is an asset, not a liability.

Something clearly is wrong with the current justice system in which repeat incarceration is high, injustice is rampant, and 25 percent of African-American males can expect to spend time behind bars. Colson's biblical ideas for reform have the potential to turn the system around, keep innocent people out of prison, and give victims some relief.