Organizers Push Back Against Violent Offender Registry
Continuing the work of removing the “invisible bars” that restrict the formerly incarcerated, IMAN organizers have mounted a grassroots campaign to address the injustices of a registry system that threatens to further criminalize men and women who are trying to pull their lives back together after lengthy incarceration. This effort is led by those most directly affected by the harsh policies standing in the way of returning citizens’ successful reintegration into communities.
The Illinois Murder and Violence Against Youth Registration Act requires certain offenders to register their names, addresses, and recent photos into a public database. The state requires formerly incarcerated individuals to register by virtue of their conviction record, among other criteria. Returning citizens face tremendous barriers to job placement and housing upon their release, and the current registry system often serves as a form of perpetual punishment for an already vulnerable population.
Amid growing national concern over issues of surveillance, IMAN leaders catalyzed this campaign recognizing the thousands of individuals in Illinois that this policy adversely affects. Several Green ReEntry program participants and alumni are currently mandated to register, some of them for the rest of their lives. Through engaging the issue at weekly post-prayer breakfast gatherings, organizers began to build local power in the Marquette Park community by centering weekly Grassroots Power Hour gatherings on the impacts of the harsh registry system.
Organizers also traveled to Springfield to push legislators to consider several key amendments bringing fairness to the current policy: allowing registrants who’ve demonstrated exemplary conduct to petition for early removal from the system, offering fee waivers to registrants without any income, and introducing a measurement system to assess the registry’s impact on recidivism and other factors.
Want to get involved in the continued push to remove invisible bars and #FightFearBuildPower? Contact Senior Organizer Shamar Hemphill at shamar@imancentral.org, and be sure to attend Grassroots Power Hour each Wednesday at 5:30 pm.