Pardon Me Please!

Racial disparities in incarceration reflect a failure of social and economic interventions to address crime effectively and also indicate racial bias in the justice system," stated Marc Mauer, Executive Director of The Sentencing Project. "The broad variation in the use of incarceration nationally suggests that policy decisions

can play a key role in determining the size and composition of the prison population."

According to the report: "While the disproportionate rate of incarceration for African Americans has been well documented for some time, a significant development in the past decade has been the growing proportion of the Hispanic population entering prisons and jails. In 2005, Hispanics comprised 20 percent of the state and federal prison population, a rise of 43 percent since 1990. As a result of these trends, one of every six Hispanic males and one of every 45 Hispanic females born today can expect to go to prison in his or her lifetime. These rates are more than double those for non-Hispanic whites."

Are Past Convictions Shadowing Your Future?

The Connecticut Pardon Team, Inc. provides tools and information to help change the lives of individuals who:

• Were formerly convicted of a crime
• Who have successfully completed their parole and / or probation
• Who have made significant steps toward rebuilding their lives and have taken positive action to rehabilitate themselves
• Who are taking a proactive role in giving back to their communities
• Who are setting an exceptional example for other convicted persons
• Who have remained conviction-free for the term prescribed by law

The Connecticut Pardon Team has provided information and education to thousands of individuals since 2004 which has helped them determine their eligibility to apply for an expungement pardon. By raising public awareness of the process of applying for a Pardon, and the procedures surrounding the Pardon Process, we have helped to publicize the process and make it more visible:

• Legislation has been passed which requires the Pardon Board to give a reason for denial to the petitioner.
• Documentation requirements have been reduced and simplified, and there are two full-time investigators who assist the Pardon Board and interface with applicants
• Hearings are now being held up to 8 times per year instead of only 2.
• Hearings are now being held at Judicial Districts throughout the state instead of petitioners being forced to travel to Hartford, Connecticut

Dexter Allen (of New Haven, CT.)