New Haven to "ban the box?"

I remember way back my freshman year, WesPrep was petitioning to "Ban the Box" in Connecticut - that is, to not allow employers the "Do you have a criminal record?" question on job applications. According to a Friday New York Times article, it looks like that might happen, at least in New Haven:

On job applications for city jobs and jobs with city contractors, applicants must now check a box to indicate they have a criminal record. The human services committee of the Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a proposal two weeks ago to remove the box on the job applications, and on Tuesday the full board will vote on the matter.

If the proposal is approved, New Haven will join other cities, including San Francisco, Baltimore and Minneapolis, that have voted to remove the question on their job applications. Proponents of the move say that people who have done their time deserve jobs, too, and the current job application question usually means they are dismissed out of hand no matter what their skills.
...

If implemented, the question about past criminal history would be moved to the end of the job application process, Ms. Matos said. Only after an applicant is interviewed and given a conditional offer of employment would a criminal background check take place. If a person is found to have a criminal history, and are then not hired, they would be given the chance to offer a rebuttal.

As many as 25 formerly incarcerated people are released in New Haven every week, according to the state Department of Correction.
[Read more.]

Sweet.

Donate books to College-in-Prison Initiative

If you're tired of settling for spare change for your textbooks, get in the seasonal spirit of giving and donate them to the Wesleyan College-in-Prison Initiative. Starting next fall, we hope to provide inmates at nearby prisons with access to Wesleyan courses, taught by Wesleyan professors. But we need books for this to happen. Your books.

Drop boxes will be located at Usdan, Olin, SciLi, Fisk, and Broad Street Books. Any and all donations, especially in the humanities and social sciences, will be greatly appreciated.

[Via Noah Gapsis '10; originally posted 2008-12-01.]

Prisoner Solidarity Project workshops

Jonathan Katz '11 writes:

Want to get involved with the community, but afraid that all the deadlines have passed? It’s not too late to get involved with the Prisoner Solidarity Project. There’s still time to facilitate a workshop at York women’s prison.

Workshops can cover any subject, from creative writing to practical math to yoga and meditation. Don’t let this opportunity to break out of the WesBubble and have a meaningful impact on the lives of the people whom society has all but forgotten pass you by.

To get involved, contact Jonathan at jzkatz@wes.

Buddhist House film screening

Dori Rutkevitz '09 sends us this message about a Buddhist House film screening:

Buddhist House will be screening a great movie about the effect of 10-day silent meditation retreats in an Indian prison. The award winning 52-minute movie, called Doing Time, Doing Vipassana, is really moving, and has inspired the same meditation retreats in prisons in Seattle and Alabama. Afterwards there will be a 10-minute trailer of a new documentary about the same retreats in a prison in Alabama. Please, come by and be inspired by an alternative way to create a truly rehabilitative prison system.

Date: Sunday, May 6
Time: 8:00 PM
Place: CFA Theater