Three Companies Face Charges for Inappropriate Use of Criminal Records

In This Issue... U.S. Moves to Support Efforts in Justice Reform Capitol Hill Briefing on States' Innovations in Juvenile Justice Transforming Probation Departments to Reduce Recidivism U.S. Prison Population Declines for Third Consecutive Year Three Companies Face Charges for Inappropriate Use of Criminal Records Monthly Bulletins on Risk Assessment Literature Upcoming Events and Webinars New Publications and Resources Reentry in the News U.S. Moves to Support Efforts in Justice Reform Attorney General Eric Holder addresses the American Bar Association on August 12. Attorney General Eric Holder announced steps to reform the criminal justice system’s treatment of nonviolent drug offenders at the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates in San Francisco on August 12, 2013. “Too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long, and for no truly good law enforcement reason,” he said in his address. To read more, clickhere. Capitol Hill Briefing on States' Innovations in Juvenile Justice On July 30, 2013, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) hosted a briefing called “States’ Innovations in Juvenile Justice: Investing in Better Outcomes for Our Communities.” Moderated by Michael Thompson, Director of the Council of State Governments Justice Center, state leaders from Connecticut, Texas, and Ohio, and federal juvenile justice leaders discussed recent bipartisan reforms that have improved outcomes for youth involved with the juvenile justice system and for youth who are removed from their schools for disciplinary reasons and at risk of becoming involved with the justice system. To read more, click here. Connecticut Under Secretary of Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Mike Lawlor shares his state's successes with juvenile justice reform. Transforming Probation Departments to Reduce Recidivism Reducing recidivism through the application of evidence-based practices was strongly emphasized at a recent conference for practitioners and leaders in community corrections. At the American Parole and Probation Association’s 38th annual training institute, which took place July 28-31 in Baltimore, MD, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Deputy Director Kristin Mahoney and Council of State Governments Justice Center (CSG Justice Center) Policy Analyst Laura Zeliger facilitated a workshop on the successes of and principles behind BJA’s Smart Probation: Reducing Prison Populations, Saving Money, and Creating Safer Communities program. During the presentation, practitioners from Wisconsin and California shared their strategies on how to apply conceptual principles to real-world situations. To learn more, click here. U.S. Prison Population Declines for Third Consecutive Year On July 25th, 2013, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reported a 1.7 percent drop in U.S. prison population from 2011 to 2012, decreasing by 27,770 individuals to an estimated population of 1,571,013. Nine states alone had a decrease of over 1,000 prisoners in 2012: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. Both federal and state imprisonment rates declined during this period. To increase accessibility to this data, BJS recently released a new online tool—the Corrections Statistical Analysis Tool—to provide real-time access to national- and state-level prisoner data from 1978 to 2011, allowing users to analyze prisoner data by yearend populations, admissions and releases, and many characteristics of prisoners. To read the latest BJS report, click here. EEOC Challenges Three Companies for Inappropriate Use of Criminal Records in Employment Decisions In June, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission(EEOC) brought formal charges against two employers for policies that resulted in individuals with certain criminal convictions being fired or automatically screened out as potential employees. On June 11, the EEOC filed suits against a BMW manufacturing facility in South Carolina and Dolgencorp, d.b.a. Dollar General, a national discount retailer based in Tennessee. In a third case, the agency announced on June 28 that it had reached a conciliation agreement with trucking company J.B. Hunt Transport to settle a discrimination charge. To read more, click here. Monthly Bulletins on Risk Assessment Literature The newly founded Alliance for International Risk Research (AIRR) offers a free monthly bulletin for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers interested in forensic risk assessment. The AIRR bulletin compiles references to recent articles related to violence, sex offender, and general offender risk assessment published in over 80 scholarly journals. The aim of the AIRR is to promote the implementation of the latest evidence-based practices in mental health and criminal justice systems, provide a manageable resource for interested legal professionals and policymakers, and keeping researchers up-to-date on trends in risk assessment literature. To receive the AIRR bulletins, click here. Upcoming Events and Webinars Webinar: Trapped: The Effect of Criminal Debt on Reentry The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law and the Illinois Asset Building Group Date: Thursday, September 12, 2013 Time: 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CT Webinar: Collaborative Approaches to Justice Information Sharing among Tribal, State and Local Justice Agencies National Criminal Justice Association Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 Time: 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET Conference: The 15th Bi-Annual Adult and Juvenile Female Offenders Conference Date: October 6-10, 2013 Location: Portland, ME New Publications and Resources The Affordable Care Act: Implications for the Criminal Justice System—A webinar from CSG Justice Center Behavioral Health Treatment for Juveniles: Transitioning Youth from Out-of-Home Placement to the Community—A webinar from CSG Justice Center   Steps to Maximize Healthcare Reform for Justice Systems—Enrolling Newly-Eligible Participants (for Courts and Corrections Systems)—Guides fromThe Justice & Health Collaborative   Transitions Between Juvenile Delinquency and Adult Crime—A series of six bulletins from The National Institute of Justice Second Chance Act: What Have We Learned About Reentry So Far?—An interview with leading researcher Ron D'Amico of Social Policy Research Associates from The National Institute of Justice Recidivism in Delaware: An Analysis of Prisoners Released in 2008 and 2009—A study from theDelaware Statistical Analysis Center MDRC's Current and Recent Projects for Criminal and Juvenile Justice Populations—A report fromMDRC   Best Practices for Increasing Access to SSI/SSDI upon Exiting Criminal Justice Settings—A publication fromPolicy Research Associates andSAMHSA's SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery Technical Assistance Center   Implementing Evidence-based Practices in Community Corrections—A webinar from Justice Research and Statistics Association Evaluation of the Second Chance Act (SCA) Adult Demonstration 2009, Interim Report—A report fromSocial Policy Research Associates Reentry in the News U.S. Attorney General announces "Smart on Crime" initiatives The U.S. Attorney's Office Western District of Tennessee—September 5, 2013| National An intraparty squabble on prisons Los Angeles Times—September 1, 2013 |California Summit focuses on jobs for ex-inmates The Columbus Dispatch—August 28, 2013 | Ohio Want to boost the economy? Educate America's prisoners ABC News—August 26, 2013 | National Calif. counties seek to reduce re-offense rate The Miami Herald—August 25, 2013 | California Nebraska lawmakers look to ease prison overcrowding The Wichita Eagle—August 24, 2013 |Nebraska City's annual per cost inmate is $168,000, study finds The New York Times— August 23, 2013 |New York Program helped ex-con find a job The Philadelphia Daily News—August 23, 2013 | Pennsylvania How Minnesota can reduce its prison population MinnPost—August 22, 2013 | Minnesota L.A. County Probation Department beefs up staff to handle release of state inmates Los Angeles Daily News—August 20, 2013 | California

Department of Justice News

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Attorney General Eric Holder Announces $2.5 Million to Connecticut Law Enforcement for Costs Related to Sandy Hook School Shootings Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) will provide $2.5 million in funding to the Connecticut State Police, the Newtown, Conn., Police Department and their partner agencies that provided assistance in response to the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School last year.   The funding compensates the agencies and jurisdictions for costs related to overtime, forensics and security during and in the aftermath of the crime. 

 “Providing support to the law enforcement agencies that responded to the horrific scene that awaited them at Sandy Hook Elementary School is one small action we can take to bring healing to a community that’s been devastated,” said Attorney General Holder.  “Just over eight months after this senseless tragedy, those who lost their lives, and those who continue to grieve, remain in our thoughts and prayers.”

The funding is made available through BJA’s FY 2013 Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program and is scheduled for distribution as follows:      
Connecticut State Police  $663,444                                                                                             
Town of Newtown    $602,293  
Town of Monroe   $882,812                                        
Partner Agencies*   $296,836  

* Connecticut jurisdictions of Avon, Bethel, Bloomfield, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Clinton, Coventry, Danbury, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Glastonbury, Groton, Meriden, Middletown, New Britain, Newington, New Canaan, New Milford, Norwalk, Orange, Plainville, Redding, Ridgefield, Seymour, Shelton, Southington, Stratford, Trumball, Waterbury, Watertown, Wilton, Weston and Wolcott.

“This critical funding will compensate the Connecticut State Police and Newtown Police Department for their tireless work investigating this crime, as well as more than two dozen police departments from across the state whose officers responded to Newtown within minutes of this horrific act and, for months, helped to provide security and comfort to a courageous community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Deirdre M. Daly.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance is one of six components of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) which is headed by Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason.  OJP provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims.  OJP’s six components include: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking.

For more information about OJP, please visit: www.ojp.gov. 

Philly's Own Gossip Girl Do you see the "SIKE" on Violence Prevention?

Philly's Own Gossip Girl

I agree with Ms. #PAYTHIA employment and entrepreneurship are key factors in diminishing violence in the US of A. But I have to wonder with the high stakes and profit that acts of violence causes i.e investors (prisons, funeral homes & burials, city government funding and the like) are government & city officials really trying to reduce violence or are they just saying "SIKE" behind our back.

Think about it for a moment; NOTHING has seemed to work in any city in the United States so you have to start asking why & who is at fault for this failure. And yes for all the people with the titles and positions that "serve the people" YOU HAVE FAILED US A LONG TIME AGO! Heck nowadays if there is a murder in you district you don't even bother to visit the family to bestow your condolences. And you want to wonder why ALL of America is paying #Trump some attention. Although I could never vote for a jackass like Trump to be President, One thing for sure he calls a spade a spade!

Where are the people we vote in office when we need them? Probably greasing their pockets cause violence has NOT knocked at their door.

Well I can tell you one thing for sure.....Violence is not something anyone can control or turn off and on and everyone is at-risk. You see violence can strike at any given time; there are no boundaries, no sacred ground. Schools, churches, market, department store, bank, getting into your car, mowing your lawn, sitting in your living room watching tv. Who will speak for victims & victim families. Who are the voices to be heard and more importantly who will listen!

As always your opinions matter so lay it on me. You favorite tell it like it "t.i.is" Philly's Own Gossip Girl xoxo

 Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the CEO or of New Start Foundation Inc.

Gun violence updates: Five men wounded overnight in Philadelphia

Posted: 30 Aug 2013 08:00 AM PDT Three men were wounded in a shooting incident at about 2:15 a.m. Friday on Buist Avenue near Island Avenue in the Eastwick section of Southwest Philadelphia. Investigators believe that a shootout took place between someone on the street and three people inside a car, according to a report from 6ABC, which added that victims were able to drive themselves to Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby. Two were treated and released, but the third was admitted. Medics rushed a 17-year-old to Temple University Hospital, where he was reported in stable condition after he was shot six times in the area of Horrocks and Levick Streets in the Oxford Circle section of the city at about 9 p.m. Thursday. A 36-year-old man was shot multiple times Thursday night on North 6th Street near Pike Street in the Hunting Park section of the city. Police rushed the wounded man to Temple University Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Police opened fire on armed intruders when they interrupted a home invasion early Friday morning on North 16th Street near West Butler Street in the Tioga section of the city. According to a report from CBS3, one suspect was captured, another was still on the loose, and no injuries were reported. On Thursday, the Philadelphia Police blog released a video, seeking to identify the gunman who robbed a bar Tuesday morning on Castor Avenue in the Oxford Circle section of the city. In Trenton, NJ, the capital city’s yearly record for homicides was shattered just after noon Thursday when Brandon Nance, 26, was shot to death outside a bakery, marking this year’s 32nd homicide, according to NJ.com. University of Delaware Police said that a New Castle-area man, sought in connection with a shooting incident on the campus last week, was arrested Tuesday, while two others were charged with hindering the investigation, according to a report from delawareonline.com. Next month, Peace Day Philly activities will focus on personal and local, as well as global levels of peace, asking you to commit one minute, one hour or the day in the spirit of peace and non-violence. Visit peacedayphilly.orgfor more information. The Gun Crisis Reporting Project is an award-winning, independent, nonprofit journalism community striving to illuminate the epidemic of homicide by gunfire in Philadelphia — and to find solutions.

Mapped: 24 shootings victims during holiday weekend in Philadelphia

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:11 AM PDT

Five more people were wounded by gunmen in Philadelphia Monday and overnight, capping a holiday weekend that left 24 shooting victims across the city.

One man died and three more were reported in critical condition following the weekend incidents, which included two double shootings and two triple shootings.

As we have previously reported, seven people were shot Friday in Philadelphia, seven more were shot Saturday night, and five were shot Sunday. This outbreak emerged with five shooting victims Thursday night.

In the latest incidents,  a 19-year-old man was reported in critical condition at Einstein Medical Center after he was shot Monday night on East Sharpnack Street near Lowber Avenue in the East Mount Airy section of Philadelphia. Police told CBS3 that the victim was shot once on the lower back.

Two men were wounded shortly before noon Monday in a shooting incident reported on South 54th Street near Willows Avenue in the Kingsessing section of the city. Both victims, ages 29 and 40, were reported in stable condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Police rushed a 21-year-old man to HUP after he was shot, shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday on North 38th Street near Poplar Street in West Philadelphia. That victim was reported in stable condition with a foot wound.

A 23-year-old man was reported in stable condition at Temple University Hospital after he was shot in the abdomen at about 1:45 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Germantown and Lycoming Avenues in the Nicetown section of the city. According to a report from 6ABC, police are checking nearby surveillance cameras.
View the map: 24 shootings victims reported over holiday weekend in Philadelphia.

If you want to get involved in gun violence reduction in Philadelphia, please consider volunteering your time or making a donation to one of the organizations listed under our Network tab at the top of this site.

If you would like us to add your group to our list, please email us at info@guncrisis.org.
The Gun Crisis Reporting Project is an award-winning, independent, nonprofit journalism community striving to illuminate the epidemic of homicide by gunfire in Philadelphia — and to find solutions.

Opinion: Too Big for the Box -- Our Economy, Character, And Crime)

Cornell William Brooks | September 9, 2013 Job applicants should compete on their qualifications, rather than be ruled out because of potentially meaningless arrest records or even minor convictions One of today’s major economic challenges to the nation and New Jersey is best described not with new data but with two long-forgotten black-and-white photos. The first depicts a young man with a precocious maturity and the number 7-0-8-9 scratched over his undeniable dignity. The second shows a somewhat older woman whose face reveals both shyness and fierce determination. Yet the number 7-0-5-3 is scrawled like the grime of graffiti across her unrepentant personhood. The slender young man came to be known not by the arrest number 7-0-8-9 but rather by his formal name: the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Similarly, the reserved older woman is not known to the world’s schoolchildren as number 7-0-5-3, but rather as the mother of the modern civil rights movement: Mrs. Rosa Louis Parks. The1956 mug shots and criminal records of civil disobedience for Dr. King and Mrs. Parks were found in a file cabinet in 2004 -- forgotten for nearly a half century. Were those records created today, they could neither be lost nor forgotten. The 65 million Americans (one in four adults) with a criminal record are reminded whenever they fill out a job application that states: “Please check the box, if you have ever been arrested or convicted of a crime.” This tiny box is a massive economic challenge to both job applicants and business. The misuse of criminal records by some employers is not only an economic challenge but also a moral challenge. Business leaders, advocates, and legislators are addressing both with the proposed New Jersey Opportunity to Compete Act, sponsored by Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham and Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. The economic challenge starts with today's ubiquitous digital technology. Anyone’s criminal record is accessible to anyone anywhere in the world with the click of a mouse or the swipe of a finger across a screen. These Internet records, no matter how old or inaccurate, have digital eternal life. For employers protecting business reputations, workplace safety, and staff quality, criminal record access is critical. Once a person with a record checks the box, the employment process often ends immediately -- regardless of what the record actually says. A box-checked application is often trashed unread. Employers who blindly screen out applicants by the box hurt both business and applicants. The majority of people with criminal records have neither spent time in prison nor committed a felony or violent crime. Many are not guilty of any crime at all. Most have been arrested, but not convicted. Moreover, of those convicted, most have only been convicted of nonviolent and often minor crimes. According to Princeton sociologist Devah Pager, having a criminal record decreases the likelihood of a white male job applicant getting called back for an interview by at least 50 percent. For black men, the rate is even 40 percent worse than for white men. A man with a record of incarceration will lose $100,000 of income in his prime earning years. Not surprisingly, people formerly incarcerated lower the national employment rate as much as 0.9 percent; male employment, as much as 1.7 percent; and those of less-educated men as much as 6.9 percent. This joblessness costs at least $57 billion nationally and annually. With 65 million Americans with a record, 2.4 million incarcerated nationally and 41,000 statewide, everyone knows someone with a record -- from the studious Rutgers undergrad with a high school shoplifting conviction, to the respected middle manager guilty of a nearly forgotten sorority prank, to countless scores of ambitious young men arrested but never convicted under “stop and frisk” policing run amuck in our cities. The box is also a moral challenge. Harvard sociologist William Julius Wilson has long written empirically, eloquently, and sadly about what happens to poor communities when their citizens aren’t able to work. Joblessness frustrates not only the ability and ambition to hold a job but also the ability and perhaps the aspiration to raise a family responsibly. Imagine the possible moral consequences of employer policies that impede the ability of literally millions of people to compete fairly for work. Many employers, employees, and parents believe that work is not merely economic activity but a moral exercise. Work and even the ability to compete for work can imbue the young with discipline, ambition, an aversion to crime, and the aspiration to start a family responsibly. Using the box to unfairly screen out qualified applicants, with minor convictions or mere arrests, not only affects them getting jobs, but also building character, forming families, and contributing to the community. For example, a child who sees a parent working -- or even competing for work -- gets a moral lesson in responsibility. After meeting with the business community for nearly a year, Sen. Cunningham introduced the New Jersey Opportunity to Compete Act. The legislation would move the box off the application and postpone (but not eliminate) a criminal background inquiry. This is precisely the same practical policy of America’s largest private employer, Wal-Mart, and the nation’s largest public employer, the federal government. This policy would allow job applicants first to be considered and compete on their qualifications -- then be asked about and assessed on any criminal record. Should this legislation pass, New Jersey would join over 50 jurisdictions and 10 states with similar laws. With the bill’s introduction and a dozen pro-business compromises, this bill is now poised to become America’s most business-sensitive and community-responsive law of its kind. New Jerseyians extol the values of competition and fair play on the sports field. We need to do as much in the job market -- particularly for those who only want a shot at a job. Cornell William Brooks, Esq., is president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

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