the development of ban the box. who came up with the term “ban the box”?

The Development of Ban The Box

Who came up with the term “Ban The Box”?

All of Us or NoneAll of Us or None, a project of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, is a national grassroots

civil and human rights movement started by formerly-incarcerated people to challenge the

discrimination we face after release and to secure full restoration of our human rights, as well as the

rights of persons still incarcerated.

We feel that after our sentences are completed, we have a right to re-establish our lives with full rights and responsibilities as human beings in America.

How we began…

Strategy Session

Convening of over 60 formerly-

incarcerated people

April, 2003

Agreements were established to organize statewide across racial, class, gender, age and geographic boundaries

Organized a national planning meeting in New Orleans, convening over 50 former prisoners from

16 states

Collectively we agreed to form All Of Us Or None.

WHO WE ARE

Formerly / Previously, Currently Incarcerated People

Fathers, Mother, Sons, Daughters, Educators, Attorneys, Nurses…

Our life experiences are much richer and diverse than our past indiscretions

We reject terms such as:"ex-offender," "ex-criminal," "ex-felon," "ex-convict," “convicts,”, “offenders,” “inmates,”

and other dehumanizing labels because they seek to redefine us by our worst mistake(s), and prevent us from being seen as legitimate people, as human

beings in the U.S.

WHO WE ARE NOT

We are not the total sum of our past mistakes, accusations, or convictions

The operative word should be PEOPLE

(The words prisoner or captive reflect the actual state of people being held in captivity,

and so we do not object to such use.)

We have also developed campaigns in California to build political power and

strengthen the voices and leadership of people and communities affected by the "criminal

justice”/punishment system.

One of our current campaigns is 

  – Ban The Box –

the nationally-recognized effort to eliminate all questions relating to a person’s arrest or

conviction history from all applications – for housing, employment, benefits, etc..

“Have you EVER been convicted by a court?”

This question appears on most applications for employment, housing, public benefits, and

student loans.

We believe this question is the basis for widespread discrimination against people who

have been in prison or who have past convictions of any kind.

EMPLOYMENT

Many employers are using any conviction history as a way to

eliminate applicants from consideration,

without ever looking at their qualifications.

AUTOMATIC DENIAL FOR APARTMENT

RENTAL

HOUSING

Conviction histories that include felony

or misdemeanor convictions or

pending charges….

NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

APPLICATION FOR LIFE INSURANCE

ASKS THE QUESTION:

“In the last 5 years, have you been arrested, convicted or imprisoned for any reason?”

INSURANCE

We organized and brought our demands to cities and counties first because this is where we can show our power locally, by

mobilizing our communities. 

As a result, SF became one of the first cities we were able to Ban the Box from

application from City and County Employment in 2006.

Recently, with the support and leadership of Community Housing Partnership (CHP), Lawyer’s

Committee for Civil Rights, and National Employment Law Project, we expanded our BTB

efforts to remove the question on initial employment applications, requiring PRIVATE employers to select

finalists on the basis of qualifications and job experience, and removing barriers to affordable

housing. On March 4th, the Fair Chance Ordinance was signed

into law.

San Francisco: Ban The Box for Private Employers

ALL OF US OR NONE

*Structural Discrimination Against the Formerly-Incarcerated

The campaign to BAN THE BOX came straight from us – the people who have been facing this problem for decades

We recognized the problem*, coined the term Ban The Box, and began to see how to move us from talk to action to solving

this problem!

We appreciate the support from the many agencies joining our efforts to level the playing field. However, formerly incarcerated leadership on Ban the Box has

been relegated to the backburner, in terms of both prominence and resources.

How can those who are not directly impacted by structural discrimination honor our efforts to be seen as

legitimate people and as developers of the most comprehensive solutions to problems of discrimination

facing us, our families, and our communities?

The Conundrum

Our goal …continues to be to strengthen the voices and leadership of people most affected by structural discrimination and the growth of the

prison-industrial complex.

We want to be considered and treated as human beings in a society still saturated with discriminatory

and inhumane policies and practices.

For More Information on Ban The Box or how to get formerly-incarcerated people

involved with All Of Us Or None, please contact:

Manuel La Fontaine manuel@prisonerswithchildren.org

415-625-7051 orDorsey Nunn

dorsey@prisonerswithchildren.org415-637-8195

All of Us or None