Mass incarceration has a far-reaching impact when an estimated 70 million, 1 in 3 adults have a criminal record (American Civil Liberties Union, Back to Business: How Hiring Formerly Incarcerated Job Seekers Benefits Your Company, 2017). The impact of mass incarceration is exacerbated due to collateral consequences. Collateral consequences can be defined as hidden sanctions which emerge automatically at the onset of a criminal conviction. They are referred to “hidden” since they are not formally quantifiable in a sentence or imposed penalty. Due to the disproportionate rate in which African-Americans are incarcerated, collateral consequences have a profound impact by limiting access to jobs and professional licensure and restricting access to the ladder of economic mobility. This presentation explores the evolution from forced slave labor to convict leasing to the tangled web of mass incarceration; examines how collateral consequences impact the African-American community’s economic mobility and restricts its access to financial liberation; and offers strategies for policy changes.
Dr. Artika Tyner is a passionate educator, author, sought-after speaker, and advocate for justice. Tyner serves as the founding director of the Center for Race, Leadership, and Social Justice and is a law professor. She is committed to training students to serve as social engineers who create new inroads to justice and freedom.
Dr. Darlene Fry is the Executive Director of the Irreducible Grace Foundation, a non-profit focused on providing safe spaces and healing opportunities for youth of color. She has worked in education at the secondary and post-secondary levels for over 30 years.