102 Cornell Law Review 547 (2017)Imagine the following scenario: You have just been released from prison after serving a two-year sentence for sale of a controlled substance. Upon release, you search for housing in your community but learn that your conviction disqualifies you from public housing. You look for a job, but given the restrictions and required disclosures, your search constantly leads to dead ends. You decide to pursue a college education, but learn that you only qualify for a limited amount of federal aid and cannot receive Federal Pell Grants—loans that do not require repayment. Fed up with your situation, you turn to the ballot box but learn that you have lost your right to vote. Facing these bleak circumstances, you turn back to selling drugs and are re-arrested. This cycle is one that far too many in this country face each year.
Let's Keep It Civil: An Evaluation of Civil Disabilities, a Call for Reform, and Recommendations to Reduce Recidivism
