Please Join BLSA for a talk on advocacy efforts to combat obstacles that obstruct the successful return of people with criminal records to their communities featuring Anthony Lowery, Director, Policy & Advocacy, Safer Foundation. The international campaign to persuade employers to remove from their hiring applications the check box that asks if applicants have a criminal record is one example of effective advocacy to reduce recidivism. In Illinois, the Safer Foundation formed the Council of Advisors to Reduce Recidivism (CARRE) and has emerged as a powerful ally for those seeking a second chance upon returning from prison.

Safer Foundation’s overarching advocacy goals are: 1) to increase community awareness of the barriers faced by people with criminal records, 2) to build a broad based coalition to work towards eliminating or reducing these barriers, and 3) to provide a voice and a vehicle for participation by the people most impacted by these policies.