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The goal is to pass local legislation. But we’re organizers, so we know that change rarely happens as quickly and easily as we’d like.  We know that local right-wing political opposition might well block protected class legislation one or more times.  So we recognize that, despite kickass organizing, some groups might “lose forward”—creating "an opportunity for public education and shifting the larger narrative.” We expect that campaigns that aren’t immediately successful will lay the groundwork for future attempts to pass this legislation: changing the narrative about who formerly incarcerated people are, locating allies, forming coalitions, and helping people with records feel empowered and more connected to our community.

The struggle is long but achievable. We take heart from the successful multi-year Ban the Box campaign, originated by All of Us or None, a grassroots civil and human rights organization fighting for the rights of formerly- and currently-incarcerated people. Their campaign to remove the conviction history check-box from job applications showed us the power of formerly incarcerated activists to change unjust systems. 

Our Network Goal

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